Osteopromotion With Synthetic Oligopeptide–Coated Bovine Bone Mineral In Vivo

Background: Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP)‐2 has been shown to stimulate significant regeneration of alveolar bone and cementum in periodontal defects clinically. The aim of this study was to evaluate the osteopromotive effect of oligopeptide domain–coated bovine bone mineral granules in a rabbit calvarial defect model. Methods: The peptide‐coated bovine bone was fabricated by incubating the graft material in a solution of oligopeptide domain. The cell attachment and proliferation were measured in vitro. Peptide‐coated (test group) or uncoated (control group) bone minerals were implanted into 10‐mm calvarial defects in rabbits, and the animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, or 4 weeks post‐surgery. Results: The cells grown with peptide‐coated bone showed significantly higher proliferation activity at all times compared to cells grown with peptide‐uncoated bone mineral. At 2 weeks post‐surgery, the control wounds showed a limited amount of osteoid formation in a centripetal pattern around the grafted bone, but the oligopeptide domain–coated grafted bone had formed new bone around the grafted area. At 4 weeks post‐surgery, the control sites showed increased new bone formation, but they still showed a significant difference from the peptide‐coated bone‐implanted sites. Conclusions: At 2 and 4 weeks, accelerated new bone formation was observed within the experimental sites compared to control groups. The use of deproteinized bovine bone combined with a synthetic oligopeptide seems to be a more beneficial material for bone regeneration in the early healing period.