Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The biomechanical property and in vivo vascularization restrict the widely application of tissue engineering bone in clinic.
OBJECTIVE: To study the vascularization and biomechanical property of tissue engineered bone in vitro constructed by bio-derived bone combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in repair of radius-periosteum defects in rabbits. 
METHODS: The bio-derived bone was prepared using bones of New Zealand white rabbits, and the BMSCs of rabbits were harvested and cultured in osteogenic conditions, followed by incubation into bio-derived bone to prepare tissue engineered bone. Twenty-five rabbits were prepared for radius-periosteum defects models. The left forelimbs of rabbits in the control group were repaired by bio-derived bone, and the right forelimbs of rabbits in the experimental group were repaired by tissue engineered bone. There was no treatment in the blank group. Each 5 rabbits were sacrificed at weeks 2, 4, 8 and 12 after operation. The vascular area and biomechanical property of implanted bone were observed. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In the experimental and control groups, there were massive blood circulation with large vascular area at 4 weeks after operation, which trend to normal level at 12 weeks. The differences of vessel sizes between the experimental, control and blank groups had dramatically significance (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the vascular network ranged regularly, which similar to normal bone tissues at 12 weeks. The results demonstrated that tissue engineered bone has better vascularization and biomechanics property. It is a better way to repair bone defects.