Abstract: Disclosed is a product which includes calcium carbonate and bone growth factor useful for the promotion of bone formation when implanted in the body. The calcium carbonate is preferably in the form of aragonite which can be recovered from naturally occurring coral. A preferred bone growth factor of the present invention is a protein mixture purified from bone. Also disclosed is a process for the induction of bone formation which includes implanting the product in a body. The product and process of the present invention are particularly useful in hip replacement operations, knee replacement operations, spinal fusion operations, repair of periodontal defects, treatment of osteoporosis, repair of bone tumor defects and repair of bone fractures.

Abstract: A method for purifying bone-derived osteoinductive factors including an ultrafiltration process, an anion exchange process, a cation exchange process, and a reverse phase HPLC process. The ultrafiltration process preferably includes a first ultrafiltration step using a membrane having a nominal molecular weight cutoff of approximately 100 kilodaltons (kD) and a second ultrafiltration step employing a membrane having a nominal molecular weight cutoff of approximately 10 kD. For the anion exchange process, a strongly cationic resin is used, preferably having quaternary amine functional groups. Typically, the eluant for the anion exchange process has a conductivity from about 10,260 micromhos (.mu.mhos) (1.026.times.10.sup.-2 siemens (S)) to about 11,200 .mu.mhos (1.120.times.10.sup.-2 S). For the cation exchange process, a strongly anionic resin is used, preferably having sulfonic acid functional groups. The eluant for the cation exchange process typically has a conductivity from about 39,100 .mu.mhos (3.91.