Objective—To analyze a centrifugation-based, point-of-care device that concentrates canine platelets and bone marrow–derived cells.

Animals—19 adult sexually intact dogs.

Procedures—Anticoagulated peripheral blood (60 mL) and 60 mL of anticoagulated bone marrow aspirate (BMA) were concentrated by centrifugation with the centrifugation-based, point-of-care device to form a platelet and a bone marrow concentrate (BMC) from 11 dogs. Blood samples were analyzed on the basis of hemograms, platelet count, and PCV. The BMA and BMC were analyzed to determine PCV, total nucleated cell count, RBC count, and differential cell counts. The BMC stromal cells were cultured in an osteoinductive medium. Eight additional dogs were used to compare the BMC yield with that in which heparin was infused into the bone marrow before aspiration.

Results—The centrifugation-based, point-of-care device concentrated platelets by 6-fold over baseline (median recovery, 63.1%) with a median of 1,336 × 10³ platelets/μL in the 7-mL concentrate. The nucleated cells in BMCs increased 7-fold (median recovery, 42.9%) with a median of 720 × 10³ cells/μL in the 4-mL concentrate. The myeloid nucleated cells and mononuclear cells increased significantly in BMCs with a significant decrease in PCV, compared with that of BMAs. Stromal cell cultures expressed an osteoblastic phenotype in culture. Infusion of heparin into the bone marrow eliminated clot formation and created less variation in the yield (median recovery, 61.9%).

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Bone marrow–derived cell and platelet-rich concentrates may form bone if delivered in an engineered graft, thus decreasing the need for cancellous bone grafts.