Intraosseously transplantable osteosarcoma with regularly disseminating pulmonary metastases in rats

An intratibially transplantable osteogenic sarcoma in rats, that regularly disseminates osteogenic metastases in the lung, is described. The tumor take rates exceeded 90% 30 days after transplantation. Pulmonary metastases were diagnosed in about 99% of the animals, while metastases in the kidneys (14%), lymph nodes (13%) and liver (3%) occurred less frequently. The mean survival time of untreated animals varied between 36 and 48 days, depending on the age at transplantation. Histologic and scintigraphic findings are reported.