Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Palakidis.
This study describes three methods of computerized three-dimensional reconstruction of the main neurovascular pulpal bundle of human teeth, using serial cross-paraffin sections, digital image processing, and three-dimensional computer graphics. These methods are surface representation, representation by means of a stack of slices, and volume representation.
Five healthy premolars were used for transmission electron microscopy examination and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of pulpal blood vessels and their surrounding nerves. Serial Epon thin sections were taken from specimens. After a series of preprocessing steps that included digitization, contrast enhancement, slice alignment, segmentation and interpolation, three dimensional surface representation was performed using the triangulation method. The findings showed that vessels were usually accompanied by a number of myelinated and unmyelinated nerves. The nerves shared a more or less common course with the vessels. Small arteries presented greater number of nerves in their vicinity, compared to small veins. In the sections examined, no direct contact between the nerve trunks and the wall of the vessels was found; the closest distance measured was approximately 67 microns. The common course of vessels and nerves suggested autonomic innervation on part of the myelinated axons.
This study describes a method of computerized three-dimensional reconstruction of the main neurovascular pulpal bundle of human teeth, using serial cross paraffin sections, digital image processing, and three-dimensional computer graphics.