OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a centrifuged osteogenic bone marrow aspirate to stimulate healing in rabbit fibular osteotomies. METHODS: Ten white New Zealand rabbits were used. A transverse medial diaphyseal fibular osteotomy was performed on the right fibula, where an absorbable collagen sponge embedded in osteogenic centrifuged bone marrow aspirate, obtained from the ipsilateral iliac bone, was inserted. The left fibula was used as the control group, where the collagen absorbable sponge was inserted without the osteogenic centrifuged aspirate. The rabbits were sacrificed four weeks after surgery to evaluate bone callus formation. Analyses of results were performed with DEXA bone densitometry to evaluate callus mineral mass, multislice computed tomography to evaluate callus volume and histomorphometry to evaluate the relative rate of tissue formation. RESULTS: The employment of centrifuged osteogenic bone-marrow aspirate resulted in a 40.3%, increase of callus bone mineral mass and increased relative quantity of bone tissue formation by 9.4%, without a significant increase in the relative quantities of cartilage, fibrous tissue, or in callus volume. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the centrifuged osteogenic bone marrow aspirate was able to improve the healing of experimental fibular osteotomies in rabbits.
Bone marrow cells; Bone transplantation; Fracture healing; Osteotomy; Rabbits
