Observation of an Injectable Tissue-Engineered Bone Constructed With Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma and Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

Objective: To construct an injectable tissue-engineered bone graft with fibrin glue (FG), autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) cultured in vitro and study its biological characteristics and microscopic structures.

Methods: BMSCs isolated from rabbit iliac bone marrow were culture-expanded in vitro. The injectable tissue-engineered bone constructed from autologous PRP, FG, and BMSCs was cultured in vitro, and its biological characteristics were observed including the time of gel formation, histological features, seed cell survival and microscopic structures.

Results: The constructed injectable tissue-engineered bone began gel formation within 20 to 30 s, and after a week-long culture, the gelatine began to degrade, and numerous well viable fusiform cells could be seen to adhere to the bottom of the Petri dish. Scanning electron microscopy identified globular and olivary cells embedded in the fibrin glue, and numerous small particles could be seen around of the cells.

Conclusion: Construction of an injectable tissue-engineered bone graft with FG, BMSCs and PRP does not require sophisticated techniques and ensures good biological property of the bone graft that can be easily shaped and allow good growth of the seed cells, suggesting great potential of this technique for clinical use.