Laboratory-Based Anatomical Assessment of the Rabbit Tibia and Evaluation of the Female New Zealand White Rabbit as A Model for Bone Substitute Testing

Abstract

Objective: To assess the rabbit tibia and to evaluate the female New Zealand White rabbit as an animal model for bone tissue engineering.
Study Design: Laboratory-based experimental study.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Anatomy Department, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, and the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, Pakistan. The study duration was from August 2021 to January 2023.
Methods: Twenty New Zealand White rabbits, divided into four groups (5 rabbits in each group), were used and weighed before surgery. After Anesthesia, critical-sized bone defects were created in the right tibiae of each rabbit. Group A was used as control while the rest were filled with the Silicon substituted hydroxyapatite (Si-HA) alone (Group B), Si-HA and Lipoaspirate derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) (Group C), Si-HA and SVF (modified) (Group D). All the rabbits were weighed again before being euthanized after 6 weeks. After dissecting the tibiae, the length and gross features of each tibia were noted.
Results: After six weeks, an increase in body weight was observed in rabbits of all groups. The maximum increase in weight was 600g observed in rabbit number 3 of Group B, while the minimum was 100g in rabbit number 1 of Group D. Statistically, Group A had the highest average weight gain, but the differences between groups were not statistically significant. After dissection, all tibiae showed normal gross morphological features with the same pattern in length and differences existing within the normal anatomic range. The maximum length of the tibia was 10.5cm, the minimum length was 9.3cm, and the mean length was recorded as 9.9cm.
Conclusion: Standard laboratory diet seems to increase the weight of rabbits in captivity with a reciprocal
increase in the dose of anaesthesia as per recommendation.

How to cite this: Khan MM, Butt SA, Hamid S, Kiani RB, Mahmood M, Anjum K. Laboratory-Based Anatomical Assessment of the Rabbit Tibia and Evaluation of the Female New Zealand White Rabbit as A Model for Bone Substitute Testing. Life and Science. 2026; 7(1): 46-53. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.691