In ten male rats we inserted ceramic 'drawing-pin' implants in weight-bearing positions within the right proximal tibia. Two animals were killed 6 weeks after surgery and two more 14 weeks after surgery. The remaining six received intra-articular injections of either high-density polyethylene (4 rats) or saline (2 rats) at 8, 10 and 12 weeks after surgery. These animals were killed two weeks after the last injection.Histological examination of the bone-implant interface in the control animals showed appositional bone growth around the implant at both 6 and 14 weeks. Polyethylene, but not saline, caused a chronic inflammatory response with numerous foreign-body giant cells in periprosthetic tissues.Our model of a stable, weight-bearing bone-implant interface provides a simple and reliable system in which to study in vivo the effects of particulate materials used in orthopaedic surgery.

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Since the invaluable paper on collodion, by Mr. Erasmus Wilson, which appeared in your journal in November last, I have frequently applied collodion in severe cases of toothach, arising from exposure of the nerve, with perfect success, when no persuasion could induce the patient to submit to extraction, either with or without the use of chloroform or