Development of a porous poly(L-lactic acid)/hydroxyapatite/collagen scaffold as a BMP delivery system and its use in healing canine segmental bone defect.

A hydroxyapatite/collagen (HAC) composite was produced to mimic the natural extracellular matrix of bone, with the collagen serving as a template for apatite formation. A three-dimensional highly porous scaffold was developed by mixing HAC with poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) using a thermally induced phase separation technique. Naturally derived bovine bone morphogenetic protein (bBMP) was incorporated into the porous HAC-PLA scaffolds, and the composite then was implanted in diaphyseal defects (2 cm in radius) of adult beagle dogs. Controls were implanted with scaffolds without BMP. The dogs were sacrificed at 6 months, at which time biocompatibility, biodegradability, and osteoinduction were evaluated by histologic and radiologic examination and by bone mineral density (BMD) measurements. All defects healed after treatment with BMP combined with HAC-PLA, and BMD at the site of the defect was higher than the BMD of the intact radius. Fibrous union developed in the control group animals. Histologic observation indicated that the presence of BMP not only promoted osteogenesis but that it also accelerated degradation of the biomaterials. Optimized design parameters of a three-dimensional porous biomaterial would give full scope to the role of BMP as an osteoinductive growth factor. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.