Engineering of bone tissue with porcine bone marrow stem cells in three-dimensional trabecular metal: in vitro and in vivo studies

The aim of this study was to investigate capability of cell attachment and ectopic bone formation in pigs after either ex vivo transplantation and expansion of bone marrow stem cells (BMSc) into three-dimensional porous tantalum, or porous tantalum supplemented with BMSc. After 24 hours incubation, cells adhering to the porous tantalum discs were quantified by means of scintillation counting of 3H-thymidine-labeled cells. After 7 days of incubation, the cell-loaded porous tantalum discs were harvested for histological analysis or implanted in the infrasternal muscle; an empty disc and disc implanted immediately after cell loading served as controls. All implants were taken out after 8 weeks of implantation and histological examination was performed. The results of in vitro cell attachment to the porous tantalum discs were not improved significantly with gelatin, collagen or fibronectin coatings. Histological analysis of cell loaded discs in vitro demonstrated viable BMSc within the 3-D tantalum structure. In vivo bone induction was demonstrated when the porous tantalum discs were cultured with BMSc. Our findings indicated that porous tantalum was suitable for cell attachment, and ectopic bone formation in pigs was achieved by means of BMSc cultured with porous tantalum. The present study suggests that cell-mediated hard bone tissue repair technology makes it possible to prefabricate autologous BMSc into three-dimensional trabecular metal in order to engineer bone tissue.