BACKGROUND: Nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen (NHAC) has similar component, structure, and morphology to natural bone, characterizing by good biocompatibility, multiaperture, large aperture, high porosity, and high pore communication rate; therefore, NHAC is an ideal scaffold material for bone tissue engineering.OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of rabbit bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and NHAC in constructing tissue-engineered bone.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: In vitro observational experiment was performed at Cell Laboratory of Jiangsu University from March to September 2006.MATERIALS: A one-month-old healthy male New Zealand rabbit was provided by Experimental Animal Center of Jiangsu University. NHAC was provided by Material Department of Tsinghua University.METHODS: Rabbit MSCs were isolated and purified in vitro, and the 3rd-generation MSCs were seeded onto NHAC. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Morphology and growth curve of rabbit MSCs; ② adhesion grade at day 5 and 10 after culture under scanning electron microscopy; ③ the amount of MSCs that adhered with NHAC on the 5th and 10th days. RESULTS: Rabbit MSCs were grown adherently with great reproductive activity, and the auxodrome was in accordance with Logistic auxodrome. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the amount of MSCs on the 10th day was significantly greater than the amount on the 5th day (P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: The adhesion degree of the compound of MSCs and NHAC is high.