Bone Engineering: Allogenic and Alloplastic Bone Transplants vitalized by Osteoblast-like Cells

In this study we examined the proliferation, the morphology and the vitality of human osteoblasts on non-sintered hydroxyapatite and demineralised bone matrix in vitro to get knowledge whether these materials are suitable for bone reconstruction in oral surgery.Human osteoblasts were isolated from the jaw during routine dental surgery and seeded onto the two different biomaterials. These cells were characterized by alkaline phosphatase assay, collagen I detection and osteocalcin production. After 21 days of cultivation the cell/biomaterial constructs were examined by scanning electron microscopy, thin sections and PI/FDA staining.The results demonstrated that the osteoblasts were able to form a vital multiple cell layer on the demineralised bone matrix within three weeks of cultivation. On hydroxyapatite the cells showed no capacity of proliferation or migration onto the synthetic biomaterial in vitro. The cells had no tendency to form well spread and viable cell constructs. These findings suggest that surface morphology or the presence of osteoinductive factors may have an important role in osteoblast adhesion and proliferation.The data implies that human demineralised bone matrix can be colonized by human osteoblast-like cells in vitro, indicating the potential of allogenic carriers regarding future therapy procedures in the field of bone engineering.