In Vivo Murine Model of Continuous Intramedullary Infusion of Particles – A Preliminary Study

摘要

Continued production of wear debris affects both initial osseointegration and subsequent bone remodeling of total joint replacements (TJRs). However, continuous delivery of clinically relevant particles using a viable, cost effective, quantitative animal model to simulate the scenario in humans has been a challenge for orthopaedic researchers. In this study, we successfully infused blue-dyed polystyrene particles, similar in size to wear debris in humans, to the intramedullary space of the mouse femur for four weeks using an osmotic pump. Approximately 40% of the original particle load (85 ul) was delivered into the intramedullary space, an estimate of 3 × 10 ⁹ particles. The visible blue dye carried by the particles confirmed the delivery. This model demonstrated that continuous infusion of particles to the murine bone-implant interface is possible. In vivo biological processes associated using wear debris particles can be studied using this new animal model.