HUMAN BONE BANK ALLOGRAFTS STIMULATE BONE-RESORPTION AND INHIBIT PROLIFERATION IN CULTURES OF HUMAN OSTEOBLAST-LIKE CELLS

Incorporation of a frozen human bone allograft requires osteoclast act ivity and ingrowth of recipient osteoblast precursors. We examined the effects of allografts on human osteoblasts. Allografts stimulated a r elease of factors from normal human osteoblast-like cells, capable of inducing osteoclastic bone resorption in vivo. Further allografts inhi bited osteoblast proliferation in cultures. The response was detectabl e within 4 days of culture and was still present after 3 weeks. Devita lized bone autografts had a similar effect. This suggests that bone ba nk grafts may induce a resorptive reaction at the recipient site by st imulating release of factors from osteoblasts capable of inducing oste oclastic resorption. The storage temperature was crucial for preservat ion of the response, since the activity was lower in allografts stored for 6 months at -20 degrees C than in those stored at -80 degrees C.