Goat bone tissue engineering: comparing an intramuscular with a posterolateral lumbar spine location.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of implant location on bone formation in goats using autologous bone marrow-derived stromal cells in porous calcium phosphate scaffolds. Intramuscular locations were compared to posterolateral spine fusion locations in eight goats. As scaffolds, we used biphasic calcium phosphate porous blocks of 5 x 5 x 5 mm. Cell-seeded implants were compared to empty controls. Bone marrow-derived stromal cells were seeded at 8 million cells per cm(3) scaffold and cultured for 1 week. The follow-up time was 12 weeks. Fluorochromes were administered intravenously at 4, 6, and 8 weeks. Ectopic implants showed 21 +/- 3.6% bone formation for the cell seeded and 2.0 +/- 3.0% for the controls (p < 0.001). Paraspinal implants, however, showed 0.10 +/- 0.13% in the cell seeded compared to 0.023 +/- 0.027% in the control group (p = 0.09). A benefit of the cells was only found in the area closest to the paraspinal muscles (p < 0.01). Bone formation in the control samples was of later onset compared to the cell-seeded implants. In conclusion, cell-based bone tissue engineering in an ectopic environment was clearly effective. Similar constructs implanted in a posterolateral spine fusion location hardly showed any effect.
van Gaalen
Steven M
SM
Department of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. s.m.gaalen@umcutrecht.nl
Dhert
Wouter J A
WJ
Kruyt
Moyo C
MC
Yuan
Huipin
H
Oner
F Cumhur
FC
van Blitterswijk
Clemens A
CA
Verbout
Abraham J
AJ
de Bruijn
Joost D
JD
D000818:Animals; D006041:Goats; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000502:physiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation; D013997:Time Factors; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*