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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Oct 14.
Published in final edited form as: J Long Term Eff Med Implants. 2011;21(2):93–122. doi: 10.1615/jlongtermeffmedimplants.v21.i2.10

FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 5

(A) A foreign-body reaction to biodegradable fixation devices made of polyglycolide resulted in a sinus discharging polymeric debris. Observed sinus 11 weeks postoperative on the lateral side of the left ankle of a 43-yr-old man with a bimalleolar fracture that was treated by open reduction and internal fixation using polyglycolide screws. (B) Anteroposterior radiograph of osteolytic lesions (asterisks) at the implant tracks in a 45-yr-old woman with a trimalleolar fracture of the right ankle that was treated by open reduction and internal fixation using polyglycolide screws, 9 weeks postoperative. (C) The characteristic histopathological picture of a non-specific foreign-body reaction to biodegradable implants. Polymeric particles of various sizes (asterisks) are seen surrounded by foreign-body giant cells. Masson-Goldner stain, original magnification 350x [reprinted from Biomaterials, vol. 21, no. 24, pp. 2615–21, Bostman O, PihlajamaÅnki H. Clinical biocompatibility of biodegradable orthopaedic implants for internal f xation: a review. Copyright (2000), with permission from Elsevier].