Generating a Rabbit Calvarial Defect Model: A Surgical Procedure to Create Round Defects in the Top Portion of the Rabbit Skull to Assess Bone Substitute Materials for Bone Regeneration Capacities

Abstract

Source: Marger, L. et al., Calvarial Model of Bone Augmentation in Rabbit for Assessment of Bone Growth and Neovascularization in Bone Substitution Materials. J. Vis. Exp. (2019).

In this video, we describe the surgical procedure to generate a rabbit calvarial model to evaluate the bone regeneration capacities of bone sample substitution materials of interest.

Protocol

All procedures involving animal models have been reviewed by the local institutional animal care committee and the JoVE veterinary review board.

1. Surgery

1. Site preparation
   1. Place the rabbit on a heated pad (39 °C) covered by a mattress pad (to avoid burns) on the surgery table. Shave the scalp.
   2. Apply a lubricating gel on the eyes to avoid irritation and dryness. Disinfect the site by scrubbing the skin with povidone iodine (10%). Then drape the rabbit with a sterile surgical drape and cut out an access area for the skull.
   3. Disinfect the surgical site with povidone iodine (10....

Results

Figure 1: Specifications of PEEK cylinders. Two holes (0.8 mm in diameter) were drilled on the lateral stabilizing tabs for screwing. The positions of the 5 intramedullary holes (0.8 mm in diameter) to be drilled on the skull within the area delimited by the cylinder ar.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
<strong>Drugs</strong>
Fentanyl	Bischel		For analgesia
Ketalar 50mg/ml	Pfizer		Ketamine for anesthesia
Lidohex	Bichsel		Lubricating gel for the eyes
Opsite	Smith and Nephew	66004978	Sprayable dressing
Povidone iodine 10%, Betadine	Mundipharma		anti-infective agent
Propofol 2%	Braun	3538710	For anesthesia
Rapidocain 2%	sintetica		Local anesthesia
Rompun 2%	Bayer		Xylazin for anesthesia
Sevoflurane 5%	Abbvie		For anesthesia
<strong>Equipment</strong>
Fresenius Vial pilot C	Imexmed		Infusion pump
Heated pad	Harvard Apparatus
Suction dominant 50	Medela
Suction tubing Optimus	Promedical	80342.2
Surgical motor	Schick dental	Qube	Drilling of intramedullary holes
Ventilation	Maquet Servo1
<strong>Material</strong>
Cylinders and caps	Boutyplast	Customized	composition: PEEK (poly ether ether ketone)
Manual self-retaining shaft	GlobalD	ACT1K
Mobile handle for self-retaining shaft	GlobalD	MTM
Self- drilling screws	GlobalD	VA1.2KL4	cross-drive screws composed by Titanium grade5, ISO 5832-3
<strong>Surgical tray</strong>
Endotracheal tube Shiley diameter 2,5mm	Covidien	86233	For intubation
Endotracheal tube Shiley diameter 4,9mm	Covidien	107-35G	For intubation
Ethicon prolene 4-0	Ehticon	8581H	Non-resorbable suture
Forceps	Marcel Blanc	BD027R	145 mm
Intubation catheter	Cook medical		Guide for intubation
Round surgical burs	Patterson	78000	0.8 mm in diameter, Drilling of intramedullary holes
Scalpel	Swann-Morton		n&deg;10 and n&deg;15
Scissors	Marcel Blanc	657	180 mm
Syringes Omnifix	Braun	4616057V	5ml, 10ml and 50ml
Venflon G22	Braun	42690985-01	Vasofix safety for the ear iv line