Culture-Expanded Periosteal-Derived Cells Exhibit Osteochondrogenic Potential in Porous Calcium Phosphate Ceramics In Vivo

Chick tibial periosteal cells were enzymatically disaggregated, introduced into cell culture, and subcultured. These subcultured cells were combined with porous calcium phosphate ceramics and implanted into a subcutaneous site in athymic mice as an immunocompatible host to test the in vivo osteochondrogenic potential of this composite graft. These cells eventually gave rise to bone tissue in the pores of ceramics at the heterotopic implantation sites. The process of bone formation occurred through two different mechanisms: Intramembranous bone formation occurred at the peripheral pores of ceramics early, and endochondral bone formation occurred in the central pores later. Cultured chick muscle fibroblasts of the same-aged donor as controls did not form bone or cartilage under identical conditions to those of cultured periosteal-derived cells. These results raise the possibility that composite graft of cultured periosteal-derived cells and porous ceramics can be clinically used as a bone graft substitute in situations requiring bone augmentation or regeneration.