Ectopic bone formation in adipose-derived stromal cell-seeded osteoinductive calcium phosphate scaffolds

The phenomenon of osteoinduction by biomaterials has been proven and used in animals. However, whether the ability of a biomaterial to initiate bone formation in ectopic implantation sites improves the performance of such osteoinductive biomaterial as a scaffold for tissue-engineered (TE) bone remains unclear. In this study, we compared ectopic bone formation by combining autologous adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) with an osteoinductive and a nonosteoinductive biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) ceramic to create a tissue engineering construct in the muscle of dogs. Two groups of BCP scaffolds (BCP1 and BCP2) were prepared. In each group, ADSCs were seeded, and the scaffolds without seeded cells served as controls. All implants were implanted in the back muscle of 10 adult dogs for 8 weeks and 12 weeks. Microcomputed tomography (Micro-CT) analysis and histomorphometry were performed to evaluate and quantify ectopic bone formation. The results indicated that the osteoinductive BCP1 performed significantly better compared to the nonosteoinductive BCP2 in cell-based TE bone formation ectopically. The ADSCs had a significantly positive effect on the ectopic bone formation. In addition, the usefulness of Micro-CT for the efficient and nondestructive analysis of mineralized bone and calcium phosphate scaffold was confirmed.