Comparative studies on ectopic bone formation in porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds with complementary pore structures

Vascularized bone grafts were constructed by implanting hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds with complementary macro-pore structures into the dorsal muscle of dogs. The relationship between pore structures and ectopic bone formation properties was investigated. Two types of scaffolds with complementary porous structures were fabricated by spherulite-accumulating and porogen-preparing methods, and were named spherulite HA-positive and porogen HA-negative, respectively. After implantation for 1 month, histological observation showed that all the scaffolds were encapsulated by normal muscle tissue and multiple vascular net with cells, indicating excellent biocompatibility and pore interconnectivity of the scaffolds. In the spherulite HA-positive scaffolds, a number of osteoclasts and osteoblasts coupled with new bone tissues were found after 3 and 6 months' implantations, which was better than those in the porogen HA-negative scaffolds. Similarly, the improvement of mechanical properties and the reconstruction of materials in the spherulite HA-positive scaffolds were superior to those in the porogen HA-negative scaffolds. The different ectopic bone formation induced by different macro-pore structures after intramuscular implantation demonstrated the significant effect of macro-pore structures of scaffolds on osteoinduction and vascularization.