Vertical Bone Augmentation Using Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cells: An In Vivo Study in the Rabbit Calvaria
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 3, 2026
Calvarial Model of Bone Augmentation in Rabbit for Assessment of Bone Growth and Neovascularization in Bone Substitution Materials
Published on: August 13, 2019
Halide Namli1, Özgür Erdogan, Gülfiliz Gönlüşen
1*Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey. †Associate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Rangsit University, Pathumthani, Thailand; Formerly, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey. ‡Professor, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey. §Private Practice, Department of Dentistry, Acibadem Hospital Group, Adana, Turkey. ¶Associate Professor, Environmental Engineering Department and Bioengineering Division, Centre for Bioengineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. ‖Resident, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey. #Assistant Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
Purpose:
To evaluate the bone regeneration capacity of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) in vertical guided augmentation of bone tissue.
Material And Methods:
The calvaria of 20 rabbits were vertically augmented with autogenous bone graft (ABG); collagen/beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) linked scaffold transplanted with 15 × 10 BMSCs; or scaffold alone (control). The augmentation materials were covered with stainless steel domes. BMSCs were isolated with Ficoll-Paque technique and applied directly without in vitro expansion. The newly formed bone was evaluated using radiodensitometric, histomorphometric, histological, and micro-computed tomographic (micro-CT) analyses after a 12-week healing period. The data excluding micro-CT assessments were compared statistically.
Results:
Radiodensitometric and bone volume parameters demonstrated increased bone formation in both BMSC group and ABG group compared with control group (P < 0.01), but difference between the BMSC and ABG groups was not significant (P > 0.05). The mean histological scores for the BMSC, ABG, and control groups were 7.44 ± 1.03, 8.44 ± 0.81, and 6.00 ± 1.10, respectively, indicating significant difference among the groups (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
BMSCs delivered with a collagen/β-TCP linked scaffold can provide improved new bone formation that is comparable with autogenous bone block graft through vertical guided bone regeneration technique.
