Fibroblast growth factor stimulates bone formation. Bone induction studied in rats.

Implantation of demineralized bone matrix in rodents elicits a series of cellular events leading to the formation of new bone inside and adjacent to the implant. This process is believed to be initiated by an inductive protein present in bone matrix. It has been suggested that local growth factors may further regulate the process once it has been initiated. This investigation was designed to study the effect of adding a growth factor to the inductive implant. Pairs of demineralized rat femoral diaphyses were implanted intramuscularly in rats. The marrow canal of one implant in each pair was filled with a carboxymethyl cellulose gel containing 75 ng of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF). The other implant in each pair served as a control. It was either filled with the gel without FGF or left untreated. Bone formation was induced by all the implants after 3 weeks. The amount of mineralized tissue in the FGF-treated implants was 25 percent greater than in untreated controls. The carboxymethyl cellulose gel alone did not affect the bone yield.