Inhibition of vertebral endplate perfusion results in decreased intervertebral disc intranuclear diffusive transport.

Impaired nutrition of the intervertebral disc has been hypothesized to be one of the causes of disc degeneration. However, no causal relationship between decreased endplate perfusion and limited nutrient transport has been demonstrated to support this pathogenic mechanism. To determine the importance of endplate perfusion on solute diffusion into the nucleus pulposus and to show causality of endplate perfusion on intranuclear diffusion in large animal lumbar intervertebral discs, diffusive transport into ovine lumbar intervertebral discs was evaluated after inhibiting adjacent vertebral endplate perfusion.

Osteopromotion with a plasmatransglutaminase on a beta-TCP ceramic.

We investigated the osteopromotive properties of plasmatransglutaminase (F XIII), bone marrow and venous blood on a resorbable beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) scaffold. A baseline binding and release study of F XIII from the scaffold showed a continuous release of 18% of the total dose after 48 h. The main study consisted of 18 adult sheep with cylindrical defects in both tibiae.

Mechanical and radiological assessment of the influence of rhTGFbeta-3 on bone regeneration in a segmental defect in the ovine tibia: pilot study.

Limitations in the use of autologous bone graft, which is the gold standard therapy in bone defect healing, drive the search for alternative treatments. In this study the influence of rhTGFbeta-3 on mechanical and radiological parameters of a healing bone defect in the sheep tibia was assessed. In the sheep, an 18-mm long osteoperiosteal defect in the tibia was treated by rhTGFbeta-3 seeded on a poly(L/DL-lactide) carrier (n = 4).

Osteopromotion by a beta-tricalcium phosphate/bone marrow hybrid implant for use in spine surgery.

Study Design: Experimental animal study. OBJECTIVE.: Evaluate osteopromotive properties of a beta-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) implant with different osteogenic substances in an animal study.