Fresh bone marrow introduction into porous scaffolds using a simple low‐pressure loading method for effective osteogenesis in a rabbit model

• DOI: 10.1002/jor.20630
• Publication Date: 2008-06-03T22:47:01Z
• Authors: Toshitaka Yoshii; Shinichi Sotome; Ichiro Torigoe; Akio Tsuchiya; Hidetsugu Maehara; Shizuko Ichinose; Kenichi Shinomiya
• Keywords: Calcium Phosphates; 0303 health sciences; Bone Regeneration; Tissue Engineering; Cell Culture Techniques; Biocompatible Materials; Alkaline Phosphatase; Bone and Bones; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Bone Marrow; Bone Substitutes; Materials Testing; Pressure; Animals; Rabbits

AbstractRecent advances in tissue engineering techniques have allowed porous biomaterials to be combined with osteogenic cells for effective bone regeneration. We developed a simple low‐pressure cell‐loading method using only syringes and stopcocks, and examined the effect of this method on osteogenesis when applied to the combination of highly porous β‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) and fresh autologous bone marrow. Both block and granule β‐TCP scaffolds were used to prepare implants in three different ways: without bone marrow as a control, with bone marrow that was allowed to penetrate spontaneously under atmospheric pressure (AP group), and with bone marrow that was seeded under low pressure (ULP group). These implants were transplanted into rabbit intramuscular sites, and the samples were examined biologically and histologically. The penetration efficiency of the block implants after marrow introduction was significantly higher in the ULP group than in the AP group. In the transplanted block samples, alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly higher in the ULP group at 2 weeks after implantation, and significantly more newly formed bone was observed in the ULP group at both 5 and 10 weeks compared with the AP group. Similar results were observed even in the experiment using β‐TCP granules, which are smaller than the blocks and frequently used clinically. Because of its convenience and safety, this low‐pressure method might be a novel, effective treatment to promote osteogenesis with bone marrow in clinical bone reconstruction surgeries. © 2008 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 27:1–7, 2009