Packaging and delivery of bone induction factors in a collagenous implant.

Extracts of demineralized rat bones which contained factors stimulating bone induction were reconstituted with highly purified human type I collagen to provide a suitable and easily manipulated delivery system for surgical implantation. When implanted subcutaneously in rats, the implants governed and delineated the dimensions of the resulting bony tissue. It is proposed that this implant system has clinical application in the filling of osseous defects within the scope of orthopaedic and oral and maxillofacial surgery. It is presented here as a potential improvement over conventional implant materials without osteoinductive properties.