The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of porcine cancellous bone as a scaffold in a rat calvarial defect model. Critical-sized defects were created in 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were divided into critical defect (CD, n=10), β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) graft (BT, n=10) and porcine cancellous bone graft (PCB, n=10) groups. Each defect was filled with β-TCP mixed with fibrin glue or porcine cancellous bone powder mixed with fibrin glue. In the CD group, the defect was left empty. All rats were sacrificed at 8 weeks after bone graft surgery, and bone formation was evaluated by gross observation, plain radiography, micro-computed tomography scanning and histological evaluation. Repair of bone defect was the least in the CD group, and significant new bone formation was observed in the PCB group. Grafting of porcine cancellous bone was more efficient for regenerating new bone than grafting β-TCP.