PubMed · 15332630
Investigation of microstructural features in regenerating bone using micro computed tomography.
Abstract
We illustrate some of the uses of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to study tissue-engineered bone using a micro-CT facility for imaging and visualizing biomaterials in three dimensions (3-D). The micro-CT is capable of acquiring 3D X-ray CT images made up of 2000(3) voxels on specimens up to 5 cm in extent with resolutions down to 2 microm. This allows the 3-D structure of tissue-engineered materials to be imaged across orders of magnitude in resolution. This capability is used to examine an explanted, tissue-engineered bone material based on a polycaprolactone scaffold and autologous bone marrow cells. Imaging of the tissue-engineered bone at a scale of 1 cm and resolutions of 10 microm allows one to visualize the complex ingrowth of bone into the polymer scaffold. From a theoretical viewpoint the voxel data may also be used to calculate expected mechanical properties of the tissue-engineered implant. These observations illustrate the benefits of tomography over traditional techniques for the characterization of bone morphology and interconnectivity. As the method is nondestructive it can perform a complimentary role to current histomorphometric techniques.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
A C Jones, A Sakellariou, A Limaye, C H Arns, T J Senden, T Sawkins, M A Knackstedt, D Rohner, D W Hutmacher, A Brandwood, B K Milthorpe. 2004. Investigation of microstructural features in regenerating bone using micro computed tomography.. https://doi.org/10.1023/b%3Ajmsm.0000021133.48661.62
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.