The influence of bone allograft processing on osteoblast attachment and function.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Bone allografts are crucial in reconstructive surgery.
• Sterilization and disinfection methods are necessary but can impact allograft biocompatibility.
• Understanding the effects of these methods on cellular behavior is vital for successful bone grafting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the influence of eight different sterilization and disinfection methods on human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) seeded onto bone allografts.
• To assess the impact of these methods on BMSC adhesion, proliferation, viability, and osteoblastic differentiation.

Main Methods:

• Human BMSC were cultured and plated onto human bone allografts processed by various methods (AUT, D-LTP, EtO, FFB, 80°C, Gamma, CSD, BAR).
• Seeding efficiency, cell viability at 3, 7, and 21 days, alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity, and osteocalcin gene expression were analyzed.
• The Barrycidal-disinfection (BAR) method was excluded due to observed toxicity.

Main Results:

• BMSC exhibited greatest attachment to D-LTP, 80°C, and CSD allografts.
• Highest proliferation rates were observed in FFB and 80°C groups at day 3, with D-LTP, 80°C, CSD, and Gamma showing sustained viability at day 21.
• D-LTP treatment resulted in the highest AP activity and osteocalcin gene expression, indicating superior osteoblastic differentiation.

Conclusions:

• Sterilization and disinfection methods significantly alter BMSC adhesion, proliferation, viability, and differentiation on bone allografts.
• Low-temperature-plasma sterilization of demineralized allografts (D-LTP) appears to be the most favorable method for preserving BMSC function.
• Optimizing allograft processing is critical for enhancing the clinical success of bone grafting procedures.