Prefabrication of vascularized bone grafts using a combination of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and vascular bundles with β-tricalcium phosphate ceramics

Objective Large bone defects are often treated with autologous vascularized bone grafts. These operations may be associated with donor site morbidities and a limited volume of harvested bone. To overcome such issues, we prefabricated vascularized bone grafts using a combination of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and vascular bundles in a β-tricalcium phosphate ceramic (β-TCP). Study Design We used 15 New Zealand White rabbits as our experimental animals. Single photon-emission computed tomography and histologic analyses were used to evaluate angiogenesis and new bone formation of the bone grafts. Results The results showed that axial vessels not only promoted angiogenesis of the bone grafts, but also enhanced new bone formation. Conclusion These findings suggested that the insertion of blood vessels into tissue-engineered bone grafts was an effective strategy for enhancing angiogenesis and bone formation and had potential significance for clinical applications.