Background: Acceleration of bone healing is one of the most challenging issues in orthopedic science. This study aimed to evaluate bone healing process with the application of fish bone powder and human lyophilized platelet (prepared with a novel protocol) in the rabbit animal model.
Materials and Methods:  This study was carried out on 20 male New Zealand white rabbits (12 month old), divided into four equal groups as control, fish bone powder, lyophilized platelet and a combination of fish bone powder and lyophilized platelet. After exposing the radius, a bone segment (10 mm) was cut from the bone, and the empty space was left empty in the control group but filled with the mentioned biomaterials in other groups. Radiographs of each rabbit were taken on the 14th, 28th, 42nd, and 56th post-operative days to evaluate bone formation, union and remodeling of the bone defect. All animals were euthanized on the 56th post-operative day for histopathological evaluation.
Results: Radiological evaluation showed a significant difference between the lyophilized platelet group (P=0.02) and the control (P=0.007) and the fish bone powder (P=0.005) on 56th post-operative day, where the lyophilized platelet group was superior, compared to other groups. Moreover, the histopathological evaluation revealed a significant difference between the control group (P=0.01), the fish bone powder (P=0.03) and lyophilized platelet group (P=0.01), where treatment groups were superior, compared to the control group on 56th post-operative day. Nonetheless, there was no evidence of graft rejection in all groups.
Conclusion: According to the results of the study, using lyophilized platelet could accelerate the bone healing process in rabbit and has the potential for use in medicine.