Abstract: Objective To establish a method for obtaining highly purified primary human osteoclast precursors for the biochemical and molecular biological research. Methods CD68⁺ mono/macrophages were separated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy donors by means of immunomagnetic cell sorting for subsequent analysis with flow cytometry. The isolated cells were incubated on coverslips or bone slices in the presence of dexamethasone(10^-8 mol/L), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (25 μg/L ) and soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)-κB ligand (s-RANKL, 16 μg/L). Calcitonin receptor (CR) immunocytochemistry and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) histochemistry were employed. The bone slices were also studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results Fluorescence-activated cytometric analysis showed that 93.06%±0.61%(n=4)of the selected cells were CD68⁺ cells. After 7 days of culture of the CD68⁺ cells, VR+, TRAP+ multinucleated giant cells appeared, and resorption lacunae could be observed by SEM. Conclusion Highly purified CD68⁺ cells can be obtained from human PBMCs as the osteoclast precursors, and mature osteoclasts can be induced from CD68⁺ mono/macrophages by RANKL.