Osteointegration of a bisphenol-a-glycidyl-dimethacrylate composite and its use in anterior skull base defects: an experimental study in an experimental design model of cerebrospinal fluid leak.

OBJECT: Promising clinical results were reported in watertight closure of anterior skull base defects (ASBDs) with bisphenol-a-glycidyl-dimethacrylate (bis-GMA)-based materials to prevent the cerebrospinal fluid leaks. However, interrelation of these materials with surrounding bones in histologic level, referred to as the osteointegration, has not been reported in the anterior skull base. In addition, an illustrative case with an ASBD that was repaired using a bis-GMA composite has been presented.

METHODS: Twenty New Zealand rabbits were divided into 4 groups: control and sham groups consisted of 2 and 6 rabbits, respectively. The "skull base defect" group (n = 6) underwent a unifrontal craniectomy and an iatrogenic ASBD followed by creating a dural defect to obtain a cerebrospinal fluid leak. Similar bony and dural defects were acquired in the "repair with bis-GMA based allograft" group (n = 6), but the bony defect was closed with bis-GMA-based allograft.

RESULTS: All animals in the "skull base defect" group died in 3 weeks after surgery. There were no animal losses in the "repair with bis-GMA based allograft" group at the sixth month. Histologic evaluation revealed complete osteointegration of bis-GMA composite with surrounding bones.

CONCLUSIONS: bis-GMA based allograft achieved a watertight repair of the ASBD. Histologic findings of this study showed that bis-GMA composite is a reliable material to be used in the closure of anterior skull base bony defects.