Acceleration of de novo bone formation following application of autogenous bone to particulated anorganic bovine material in vivo

Objective. This prospective animal study examined the de novo bone formation following application of deproteinized bovine bone matrix (DBBM) with or without autogenous bone (AB) to osseous defects. Study design. Defects of defined size were created in the frontal skull of domestic pigs and filled with DBBM alone (group A) and DBBM+25%AB (group 13). De novo bone formation was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively at 9 different times (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 26 weeks) by means of light microscopy, microradiography, and statistical analysis. Results. Histological analysis indicated sufficient osseointegration of DBBM in both groups. Microradiography demonstrated a significant increase of bone formation in group B after 6 weeks (P = .0159) and 8 weeks (P = .0317). Conclusion. The addition of 25%AB to DBBM results in accelerated de novo bone formation in osseous defects. This effect is likely caused by osteoinductive properties of cellular elements transplanted with the autogenous bone.