Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Application on the Distracted Bone Microstructure: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Purpose Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is a surgical technique used to regenerate bone. The aim of this study was to improve bone quality and quantity during DO by the addition of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

Materials and Methods The study was conducted on 12 goats assigned to a study group or a control group. In the study group, DO was aided with MSCs. Bone quality was assessed using energy dispersive x-ray (EDX), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and histology. The histologic assessment was performed by measuring trabecular bone (TB) thickness in sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and by measuring osteoid bone percentage in sections stained with Masson trichrome (MT).

Results EDX showed an increase in calcification in the study group (mean Ca2+, 17.58%; standard deviation [SD], 4.9%) compared with the control group (mean Ca2+, 14.17%; SD, 6.7%). However, the increase was not statistically significant (P = .3354). Histomorphometric analysis of the H&E samples showed an increase in TB size in the study group (mean TB, 174.7 μm; SD, 33.5 μm) compared with the control group (mean TB, 115.4 μm; SD, 19.6 μm), and the increase was highly statistically significant (P = .0039). Analysis of the MT samples showed a decrease in osteoid percentage (mean osteoid percentage, 13.4%; SD, 2%) in the study group compared with the control group (mean osteoid percentage, 27.3%; SD, 3.5%). The decrease in osteoid percentage was statistically significant (P = .0001), indicating more rapid healing in the study group compared with the control group.

Conclusion MSCs improved the bone quality of distracted bone and increased the crystal density in SEM images of the study group compared with that of the control group. MSCs showed promising results in improving the quality and quantity of distracted bone.