Recombinant human acidic fibroblast growth factor and fibrin carrier regenerates bone

Bone regeneration promoted by acidic recombinant human fibroblast growth factor (rhFGF-1), rabbit demineralized bone matrix (rDBM), and a fibrin (f) delivery system was measured in critical-sized defects in rabbits' radii. A unilateral segmental defect 20 mm in length was prepared in radii of 48 skeletally mature New Zealand White rabbits divided equally between 4- and 8-week cohorts. The temporal cohorts were divided equally among four treatment groups: rDBM, rDBM/f, rDBM/rhFGF-1/f, and rhFGF-1/f. Data for the fifth group, untreated critical-sized defects, were exploited from previous published reports from this laboratory. In response to experimental treatments, radiomorphometric and histomorphometric methods were used to derive quantitative outcome data that were tested by analysis of variance and post hoc multiple comparison tests (significance p