Bone tissue engineering with periosteal-free graft and pedicle omentum.

BACKGROUND The histological characteristics of periosteum make it a specific tissue with a unique capacity to be engineered. Higher flexibility of the greater omentum is useful for reconstructive surgery as it facilitates not only filling of the site of infections such as myelitis, but also is effective in filling complicated defects of the soft and hard tissues, and these criteria make it suitable for tissue engineering. The present study was designed to evaluate bone tissue engineering with periosteal-free graft concurrent with pedicle omentum and compare it with subcuticular periosteal grafting in a dog model. This is the first report in which periosteum-free graft has been used as bone tissue engineering. METHODS Eight young female indigenous dogs were used in this experiment. In omental group (n = 4), end of omentum was wrapped by periosteum of the radial bone in the abdomen of each dog, while in the subcutaneous group (n = 4), the harvested periosteum was sutured on the subcutaneous layer. Lateral view radiographs were taken from the abdominal cavity post-operatively at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks post surgery. Eight weeks after operation, the dogs were re-anaesthetized and the omental or subcutical grafted periosteom was found and removed for histopathological evaluation. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Radiological, gross and histopathological evaluations revealed a superior bone formation in the wrapped omentum with periosteum compared with that of the subcuticular periosteal grafting. This is a novel and efficient technique in producing mature trabecular bone and could be used as a potential source of bone tissue engineering for autotransplantation.