ObjectivesThe compromised capacity of bone healing in osteoporotic population renders a serious concern of patients and clinicians. This study aimed to investigate the influence of G-CSF on bone reconstruction using an osteoporotic animal model. Materials and methodsSixty skeletal mature female Spraque-Dawley rats underwent bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) and were assigned into three groups (n=20). Three months after OVX, defects of 5mm in cranial and 2mm in femur were surgically created on all the animals. The defects were left unfilled, filled with gelatin sponge (GS), or filled with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) infused GS. Specimens were retrieved for histomorphometric and micro-CT analyses at weeks 1, 4, 8, and 12 after surgery. ResultsAt early stage of week 1 to week 8, the histomorphometric and micro-CT analysis demonstrated more advanced bone formation in femur in the control group; by week 12, all groups achieved cortical closure. In cranial bone, more advanced bone formation was exhibited in G-CSF-treated group at both early and late stages, although this observation was not statistically significant. ConclusionsThe results indicated that in osteoporotic bone, G-CSF may advance bone healing in cranial bone where spontaneous bone formation was insufficient.