The biocharacteristics of xenogeneic grafts make them a possible substitute for autogenous bone grafts in dental bone graft procedures. This study aimed to develop a novel porcine graft with collagen capable of generating new bone in bone defects via osteoconduction over 8 weeks of healing and to compare it with a porcine graft. The porcine collagen graft was made to undergo a cell viability test (MTT) and alkaline phosphatase assay (ALP). The surgical procedure was performed in 20 male adult New Zealand white rabbits. Four calvarial critical-size defects of 6 mm in diameter were prepared in each rabbit. The upper left defect was filled with a porcine graft of 500–1000 μm, the upper right with a porcine collagen graft, the lower left with hydroxyapatite/beta-tricalcium phosphate, and the lower right served as the control without any filling material. The rabbits were divided and sacrificed at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after surgery. Histological and micro-CT scan results showed that the performance of the porcine collagen graft is superior for regenerating new bone. Porcine collagen graft showed cell viability and osteoblast-like cell differentiation in vitro. The results indicate that porcine collagen graft is a potential bone substitute for clinical application.

“Porcine collagen graft demonstrated enhanced osteoconductivity, making it a promising alternative for future clinical bone regeneration treatments.”

Bone graft materials play a crucial role in dental and orthopedic treatments, with autologous grafts being the gold standard. However, limitations such as donor site morbidity and limited graft volume have led to the exploration of alternative solutions, including xenografts. This study introduces a novel porcine bone substitute collagen composite, evaluated both in vitro and in vivo using New Zealand rabbit models.

The research compared the new porcine collagen graft with traditional porcine bone grafts and hydroxyapatite/beta-tricalcium phosphate (HA/β-TCP). Micro-CT scanning and histological analysis demonstrated superior bone regeneration in the porcine collagen graft group, showing higher cell viability, osteoblast differentiation, and osteoconductivity over an 8-week healing period.

Findings suggest that the porcine collagen graft mimics the natural human bone matrix, providing a biocompatible, bioresorbable, and osteoconductive scaffold. The study highlights the potential clinical application of this material in guided bone regeneration (GBR) and other reconstructive procedures.