Repairing defect and preventing collapse of femoral head in a steroid-induced osteonecrotic of femoral head animal model using strontium-doped calcium polyphosphate combined BM-MNCs.

We investigated the synergism between strontium-doped calcium polyphosphate (SCPP) and autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) in treating osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). ONFH was confirmed histopathologically at 2 weeks after methylprednisolone acetate injection and the rabbits were treated with morselized autogenous cancellous compacted bone graft (group I), SCPP combined with BM-MNCs (group II), and calcium polyphosphate (group III), respectively. The amount of newly formed bone in group II increased dramatically by 4, 8, and 12 weeks and much more than that in group III (P<0.05). VEGF expression in group I was significantly higher than in group II (P=0.023), and its expression in group II was significantly higher than in group III (P=0.017). At 12 weeks, group II had articular cartilage collapse and group III had joint-space narrowing. The mean histological and radiological scores for repaired defects in group II were significantly higher than those in group III (P=0.000) but lower than those in group I (P=0.000). The implantation of a combination of SCPP and BM-MNCs enhances VEGF expression and promotes osteogenesis, which may improve angiogenesis and allow incorporation and remodeling into new trabecular bone without mechanical weakening.