Repairing rabbit’s radial bone defects using injectable nano-hydroxyapatite composite scaffold co-cultured with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Xue Zhen; Niu Li-yuan; An Gang; Guo Ya-shan; Lv Song-cen

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Nano-hydroxyapatite/chitosan/calcium sulphate hemihydrate (nHA/CS/CSH) composite scaffold constructed in preliminary experiments has good physical and chemical properties. <br> OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of injectable nHA/CS/CSH scaffold co-cultured with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels (nHA/CS/CSH/BMSCs) for repairing rabbit’s radial bone defects. <br> METHODS:Bone defects with the length of 10 mm were created on the middle of the bilateral radial bones of 18 New Zealand white rabbits. The defects were filed with the nHA/CS/CSH/BMSCs composite as treatment group, while the others were filed with HA as controls. The ability of repairing bone defects was evaluated by gross, X-ray and histopathological observation at 4, 8, 12 weeks after implantation. <br> RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:At the end of 12 weeks after implantation, in the treatment group, bone defects were completely repaired, the radial bone showed normal morphology, the bone marrow cavity was recanalized a ittle from both ends toward the middle, images in the defect area had no difference from normal bone tissues, a large amount of new lamelar bone tissues were visible, the Harvard’s system formed, the original defects were filed with newborn lamelar bone tissues, bone tissues were interconnected, and the bone marrow cavities was interlinked; in the control group, bone defect was repaired partly, the bone mineral density was lower than that of the normal bone tissue, the bone marrow cavities were recanalized partialy, and a few of new lamelar bone tissues, accompanied with connective tissues growing into the defects. The nHA/CS/CSH/BMSCs is effective for the repair of bone defects.