The Use of the Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) of the Embryonic Chick for the Direct Assessment of Implant Toxicity

Abstract

The toxicity of implant materials requires investigation prior to clinical use. We have developed a method where materials are directly applied to the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of 9-day-old chick embryos and toxicity is assessed using histological criteria. We evaluated the method using metal foils. The number and organisation of fibroblasts seemed to be the most useful criteria for assessing metal toxicity. Differences were greatest after 10 days of culture on the CAM. The method is sensitive enough to enable us to discriminate between the less toxic aluminium and titanium and the highly toxic cobalt, nickel and tungsten. The proposed method has advantages over in vitro techniques which provide an abnormal fluid environment and in which the more complex interactions that are possible between implant materials and tissue in vivo cannot be modelled.