Continuously infused calcium hydroxide: its influence on hard tissue repair.

To study the ability of calcium hydroxide to promote hard tissue repair, Alza Alzet Osmotic Pumps, implanted in Sprague-Dawley rats, were used to deliver either calcium hydroxide and glycerol, barium hydroxide and glycerol, tetracycline and glycerol, or glycerol only to a standardized round bur defect in a rat femur. The pumps infused one of the reagents into the defects continuously over a 4-wk experimental period. The effects of each reagent on the healing of the bony defects were compared by histological evaluation. The Alza Osmotic Pump proved to be an effective method to deliver an agent to an experimental site. Our preliminary findings from a limited sample size indicated that calcium hydroxide contributed to a more complete osseous repair than either barium hydroxide or tetracycline. Barium hydroxide with a sustained pH equivalent to calcium hydroxide showed no greater healing than the controls. Tetracycline results were also similar to controls.