Histologic evaluation of bone inductive proteins complexed with coralline hydroxylapatite in an extraskeletal site of the rat.

The purpose of this histologic and biochemical study was to assess the osteogenic potential of bone inductive proteins complexed with coralline hydroxylapatite as the carrier vehicle after implantation in an extraskeletal site of the rat. Inductive proteins were extracted from bovine demineralized bone. Implants were placed in 16 male, 3-month old Long-Evans rats (200-300 grams), using paired subcutaneous sites overlying the ventral thorax. There were four experimental groups, with eight implants per group. These included hydroxylapatite alone (HA), hydroxylapatite with inductive protein (HA + P), inactive demineralized bone matrix with (IBM + P), and without inductive protein (IBM). All implants were harvested at 21 days. Findings indicate a lack of osteogenic potential in groups HA, HA + P, and IBM. However, when HA and HA + P were compared, there was a 79% increase in standardized field mean nuclear point counts in the HA + P group. Also, compared to the other three implant groups, controls of IBM + P histomorphometrically showed chondroid bone formation and increased alkaline phosphatase activity. In this model system it may be concluded that with a composite system of coralline hydroxylapatite and bovine-derived inductive protein, bone formation was not seen; positive controls consisting of IBM + P demonstrated a statistically significant increase in AP activity with corresponding histologic evidence of bone formation.