Flower Crab Shell (Portunus pelagicus) Hydroxyapatite Increased Osteoblast Cells, TNF-α, and IL-6 in Rabbit with Femoral Defect

Arya Bintang Zhafari (Biomedical Science Postgraduate Program, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang Indonesia)
Selamat Budijitno (Department of Oncology Surgery, Dr. Kariadi General Hospital / Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang Indonesia)
Awal Prasetyo (Department of Pathology Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang Indonesia)
Muflihatul Muniroh (Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang Indonesia)
Robin Novriansyah (Department of Orthopaedi and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang Indonesia)

Strada Jurnal Ilmiah Kesehatan (SJIK)
Vol. 15 No. 1 (2026): May

Bone grafts are commonly used to support fracture healing, while hydroxyapatite (HA), which is generally derived from bovine sources, remains costly and limited in production in Indonesia. Therefore, alternative biomaterials with comparable efficacy are needed. Flower crab shell (Portunus pelagicus), which contains high calcium carbonate levels and is abundantly available in Indonesian waters, has potential as a synthetic HA source. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of flower crab shell-derived HA on bone healing in rabbits with femoral defects. The research employed an experimental post-test only control group design using 12 male New Zealand rabbit aged 6–12 weeks and weighing 2.5–3 kg. The animals were randomly divided into three groups: control without HA, bovine HA treatment, and flower crab shell HA treatment.