Repair of segmental bone defects with bone marrow and BMP-2 adenovirus in the rabbit radius

A Study of BMP-2-Loaded Bipotential Electrolytic Complex around a Biphasic Calcium Phosphate-Derived (BCP) Scaffold for Repair of Large Segmental Bone Defect

A bipotential polyelectrolyte complex with biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) powder dispersion provides an excellent option for protein adsorption and cell attachment and can facilitate enhanced bone regeneration. Application of the bipotential polyelectrolyte complex embedded in a spongy scaffold for faster healing of large segmental bone defects (LSBD) can be a promising endeavor in tissue engineering application. In the present study, a hollow scaffold suitable for segmental long bone replacement was fabricated by the sponge replica method applying the microwave sintering process. The fabricated scaffold was coated with calcium alginate at the shell surface, and genipin-crosslinked chitosan with biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) dispersion was loaded at the central hollow core. The chitosan core was subsequently loaded with BMP-2. The electrolytic complex was characterized using SEM, porosity measurement, FTIR spectroscopy and BMP-2 release for 30 days. In vitro studies such as MTT, live/dead, cell proliferation and cell differentiation were performed. The scaffold was implanted into a 12 mm critical size defect of a rabbit radius. The efficacy of this complex is evaluated through an in vivo study, one and two month post implantation. BV/TV ratio for BMP-2 loaded sample was (42±1.76) higher compared with hollow BCP scaffold (32±0.225).

Construction of Radial Defect Models in Rabbits to Determine the Critical Size Defects

Many studies aimed at investigating bone repair have been conducted through animal models in recent years. However, limitations do exist in these models due to varying regeneration potential among different animal species. Even using the same animal, big differences exist in the size of critical size defects (CSD) involving the same region. This study aimed to investigate the standardization of radial bone defect models in rabbits and further establish more reliable CSD data. A total of 40 6-month-old New Zealand white rabbits of clean grade totaling 80 radial bones were prepared for bone defect models, according to the principle of randomization. Five different sizes (1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.7 and 2.0 cm) of complete periosteal defects were introduced under anesthesia. At 12 weeks postoperatively, with the gradual increase in defect size, the grades of bone growth were significantly decreased in all 5 groups. X-ray, CT scans and H&E staining of the 1.4, 1.7, and 2.0-cm groups showed lower grades of bone growth than that of the 1.0 and 1.2-cm groups respectively (P < 0.05). Using rabbit radial defect model involving 6-month-old healthy New Zealand white rabbits, this study indicates that in order to be critical sized, defects must be greater than 1.4 cm.

Textural characteristics of model and natural bone tissues and interfacial behavior of bound water

Water, as a probe liquid bound in model systems (highly disperse hydroxyapatite - protein composites as a model of the main components of bones) and rat bone tissues healthy and affected by osteoporosis occurred due to experimental Alzheimer's disease (EAD), has been investigated using low-temperature (1)H NMR spectroscopy, NMR cryoporometry, TG/DTG/DTA, DSC, and TG and DSC thermoporometry. The textural characteristics of these intact systems cannot be studied using the standard adsorption methods, but the cryoporometry and thermoporometry methods give these characteristics. The (1)H NMR spectra of water bound in model and natural bone tissues include signals, which can be assigned to strongly associated (typical) water (SAW, chemical shift of proton resonance δ(H)=5-6 ppm) and weakly associated (atypical) water (WAW) at δ(H)=1-2 ppm. Contributions of SAW and WAW give information on textural organization of both model and natural bones. The influence of such co-adsorbates as HCl, CDCl(3), CD(3)CN, C(6)D(6), and (CD(3))(2)SO on the interfacial behavior and clustering of bound water depends on their polarity, amounts of components, and textural and structural features of the materials analyzed with the (1)H NMR spectroscopy and cryoporometry methods. According to the NMR cryoporometry data, the EAD causes an increase in nanoporosity of the bone tissues. The total porosity and the specific surface area of biostructures (accessible for water molecules and estimated using NMR cryoporometry and TG thermoporometry methods with a model of cylindrical pores) are larger for the EAD sample. Weakly polar chloroform-d has a significant influence on the organization of water in the bone tissue, and this effect is greater for the EAD sample as more porous material.