The healing of grafts combining freeze-dried and demineralized allogeneic bone in rabbits

The adjunctive role of demineralized bone matrix (DBM) in enhancing the incorporation of segmental freeze dried (FD)-allogeneic bone grafts has been studied in the rabbit ulna and fibula. The studies compared the healing patterns of fresh segmental autografts, FD-allografts, DBM-allografts, and FD-allografts supplemented at the graft-host junctions with FD- or DBM-allografts as particulates (ulna) or as segmental struts (fibula). The outcome was evaluated at five and ten weeks by a radiologic score, by biomechanical properties (breaking strength, energy to failure, stiffness), and histology. The ulnar autografts healed most rapidly (ten weeks=100%), followed by DBM allografts (60%)