In vivo evaluation of deer antler trabecular bone as a reconstruction material for bone defects.

Availability of graft materials to fill up osseous defects has always been a concern in orthopaedic surgeries. Deer antler material is a primary bone structure that is easy to collect and could serve as a xenograft. This study examines the behaviour of red deer antler trabecular cylinders in critical size distal femoral epiphyseal defects in 11 rabbits, and evaluates the effect of the decellularization protocols.