Autografts, allografts, and synthetic bone substitutes are essential in reconstructive orthopedic surgery. Although autografts and allografts provide excellent skeletal integration, their use is limited by host morbidity and graft acquisition challenges. Synthetic materials like β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) offer promising osseoconductive properties as a potential substitute. This study evaluated the osseointegration of β-TCP ceramic cylinder implants in bone defects in rabbits. Eighteen New Zealand rabbits underwent radial diaphysis ostectomy to create a critical segmental defect and were divided into three groups: Group A received β-TCP blocks, Group B received allogenous cortical bone grafts, and Group C underwent ostectomy without defect filling. Postoperative assessments included clinical evaluations, radiographs, micro-computed tomography, and histology at various time points to assess osseointegration and implant resorption. At the 120th postoperative day, Group B showed successful bone integration without infection. In contrast, Group A showed no osseointegration or resorption of the β-TCP implants, and Group C exhibited bone non-union. While β-TCP demonstrated biocompatibility, it lacked osseoconductivity, likely due to low porosity. β-TCP implants did not promote bone consolidation, suggesting that further research on porosity and shape is needed to improve their suitability for veterinary orthopedic reconstructive surgery.

This study developed multifunctional chitosan–hydroxyapatite (CH–HAp) scaffolds incorporating cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄, CFO) nanoparticles and carvacrol to combine bone regeneration potential with magnetic responsiveness and antimicrobial activity. Scaffolds containing 5 wt% CFO and 10–30 wt% carvacrol (free or Tween 80-emulsified) were fabricated via freeze-drying. The inclusion of CFO provided ferrimagnetic behavior, while carvacrol reduced chitosan crystallinity and increased scaffold porosity. Formulations with 30 wt% carvacrol demonstrated the strongest antimicrobial effect, showing inhibition halos against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Candida glabrata. The scaffold combining emulsified carvacrol and CFO exhibited a highly porous (≈90%) structure, preserved magnetic response, and mild cytotoxicity toward L929 fibroblasts, indicating cytocompatibility. The synergistic integration of CFO and carvacrol in a CH–HAp matrix yielded a multifunctional platform that simultaneously provides structural support, magnetic responsiveness, and antimicrobial performance, showing great promise for advanced bone tissue engineering applications.