Objective: To study the mechanism of ectopic osteogenesis of nacre/Polylactic acid (N/P) artificial bone combined with allogenic osteoblasts, and to explore the possibility as a scaffold material of bone tissue engineering.
Methods: The allogenic osteoblasts seeded onto N/P artificial bone were co-cultured in vivo 1 week. The N/P artificial bone with allogenic osteoblasts were implanted subcutaneously into the left back sites of the New Zealand white rabbits in the experimental group and the simple N/P artificial bone into the right ones in the control group. The complexes were harvested and examined by gross observation, histologic analysis and immunohistochemical investigation 2, 4 and 8 weeks after implantation respectively.
Results: In experimental group, the osteoid formed after 4 weeks, and the mature bone tissue with bone medullary cavities formed after 8 weeks; but in control group there was no new bone formation instead of abundant fibrous tissue after 4 weeks, and more fibrous tissue after 8 weeks.
Conclusion: N/P artificial bone can be used as an optical scaffold material of bone tissue engineering.