A preclinical study was conducted using fibre-reinforced polymer composite implants with S53P4 bioactive glass granule coating. Composite implants were either prepolymerized in the laboratory or in situ -photopolymerized in an operating theatre. In total 10 implants were placed with the press-fit technique in the right tibias of pigs.
The follow-up time was 12 weeks. No operative or post-operative complications were observed. Only mild foreign-body reaction with no accumulation of inflammatory cells was found on both prepolymerized and in situ –polymerized implants. Histological evaluation revealed new bone formation in direct contact with the prepolymerized composite implant surface. In situ –polymerized implants were almost completely surrounded by a thick fibrous capsule.