Background: Various types of biocompatible materials have been used to promote bone regeneration. The cellular and molecular activities determining the tissue response and bone formation during the healing of bone substitute are not fully understood.

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate bone formation of the healing process of the novel synthetic bone substitutes compared to conventional bovine bone substitute.

Materials and methods: The osteogenic (inflammation, bone formation and bone resorption) gene expression markers in rat’s femur bone defect with bone substitute are evaluated using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction technique. Bone formation is also evaluated by histological analysis.

Results: Expressions of osteocalcin (OC), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphate (TRAP) and cathepsin K (CATK) in novel bone substitute were higher than those in conventional bovine bone at 3 days ( p < 0.05). Expressions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a) and interleukin-1b (IL-1b) in novel bone substitute are lower than those in conventional bovine bone substitute at 3 days ( p < 0.05). In both substitutes, expressions of OC, ALP, TRAP CATK, TNF-a and IL-1b are same level at 28days. IL-1b

Conclusion: The novel synthetic bone substitute is as good as bovine bone substitute in terms of osteogenesis in animal experiment. The novel synthetic bone substitute can be a prospective alternative bone graft material for clinical treatment. An increased understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of osseointegration may provide new tools for the screening, diagnosis and monitoring of bone graft materials in clinical care.

Conflict of interest: None declared.