Investigation of microstructural features in regenerating bone using micro computed tomography.
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.
Jones
A C
AC
Department of Applied Mathematics, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University, ACT 0200, Australia.
Sakellariou
A
A
Limaye
A
A
Arns
C H
CH
Senden
T J
TJ
Sawkins
T
T
Knackstedt
M A
MA
Rohner
D
D
Hutmacher
D W
DW
Brandwood
A
A
Milthorpe
B K
BK
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D004548:Elasticity; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods; D009915:Orbit / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016348:Osseointegration / Q000502:physiology*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone