Osteoinductive potential of human demineralised bone and a bioceramic in abdominal musculature of the rat.

Human demineralised cortical bone chips ('bank' bone) and a particulate bioceramic (20% hydroxyapatite: 80% tricalcium phosphate) were implanted into muscle pouches in the rat abdominal wall. Combined implants of both bone and bioceramic were also made. The implants were examined histologically at thirty day intervals over a three month period. The results showed that the hydroxyapatite: tricalcium phosphate bioceramic was not resorbed and did not induce bone formation when implanted alone or in combination with human demineralised bone. In contrast the bank bone was osteogenic but, even at three months, bone formation was sparse. These results are in accord with recent findings that the use of xenogeneic model systems to evaluate the osteogenic potential of human bone is limited.