Objective To give a prel iminary experimental evidence and to prove chitosan and allogeneic morsel ized bone as potential bone substitutions in repairing rabbit radius segmental defect. Methods Chitosan and allogeneic morsel ized bone were mixed with various ratios (1 ∶ 5, 1 ∶ 10, 1 ∶ 25, 1 ∶ 50, and 1 ∶ 100). After preparation, the physicaland chemical properties of the composites were prel iminary detected; the composites at the ratios of 1 ∶ 50 and 1 ∶ 25 had good physical and chemical properties and were used for the animal experiment. The radius segmental defects of 15 mm in length were made in 50 adult New Zealand white rabbits (weighing 2.5-3.0 kg), then the animals were divided into 2 groups. In groups A and B, chitosan/allogeneic morsel ized bone composites were implanted at the ratio of 1 ∶ 50 and 1 ∶ 25, respectively. After 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of operation, the gross, histological, immunohistochemical observations were performed. Before the rabbits were sacrified, X-ray films were taken; the serum calcium and alkal ine phosphatase (ALP) concentration were measured; and the biomechanical measurement was carried out at 12 weeks. Results The results of gross observation were essentially consistent with those of the X-ray films. The histological observation showed that the bone formation was earl ier in group A than in group B; the amount of new bone formation in group A was more than that in group B; and the bone forming area in group A was bigger than that in group B (P lt; 0.05) at 4 and 8 weeks after operation. The immunohistochemical staining showed that vascular endothel ial growth factor and insul in-l ike growth factor receptor II proteins expressed in the cytoplasm of 2 groups after 4 and 8 weeks, and the expression in group A was higher than that in group B (P lt; 0.05). There was no significant difference in the serum calcium concentration between 2 groups at each time point (P gt; 0.05). After 4 and 8 weeks, the ALP concentration in group A was significantly higher than that in group B (P lt; 0.05). After 12 weeks, the radius maximum bending loads of groups A and B were (299.75 ± 27.69) N and (278.54 ± 17.09) N, respectively, showing significant difference (t=4.045,P=0.002). Conclusion The composite of chitosan and allogeneic morsel ized bone has good osteogeneic activity and can beused as a bone tissue engineering scaffold, and the optimum ratio of chitosan to allogeneic morsel ized bone was 1 ∶ 50.