Engineering Commons^™

Scanning Electron Microscopy Of The Osteoclast-Bone Interface In Vivo, H. Zhou, R. Chernecky, J. E. Davies

Cells and Materials

Rat femoral bones were studied by scanning electron microscopy to demonstrate the morphology of osteoclast- bone matrix interfacial relationships. Two general morphological types of actively resorbing osteoclasts were observed . One cell type was approximately ovoid with highly fimbriated borders, fully attached and closely adapted to the resorption surface. The ruffled border of such cells was composed of a number of individual filopodia which were of uniform , regular shape and approximately 2-3 μm in length and 150 nm in diameter. They were found to penetrate the bone matrix to a depth of 1 μm and interdigitated with the surrounding …

A Simple Freeze Fracture Technique For Scanning Electron Microscopy Of Collagenous Biomaterials, David L. Christiansen, George Pins, Frederick H. Silver

Cells and Materials

A simple freeze fracture technique for the ultrastructural analysis of fragile collagenous biomaterials is presented. Following standard methods of preparation and dehydration, fragile biomaterials are fractured with a sharp blade attached to a modified slide hammer. The sliding mass imparts a sudden impact load on the frozen surface of the material , creating a distortion free cleavage plane across the material. More traditional methods including bending and cutting with scissors introduce artifacts indirectly associated with stress concentration produced by bending, and sample compression at the edges with cutting. The impact loading of the sample during fracture results in preservation of …

In Vitro Studies Of Encrustations On Catheters, A Model Of Infection Stone Formation, W. Schmitz, A. Nolde, G. Marklein, A. Hesse

Cells and Materials

Deposition of infection-induced stone material on urinary catheters is a common problem in urological patients. Therefore, a crystallization model was developed in order to form this material in a reproducible manner. Furthermore, the dissolving potency of two solutions (Suby-G® and Solution-R®) was investigated with this model. The encrustations were examined by infrared (IR) spectroscopy, chemical encrustation analysis , scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray microanalysis. In addition, the encrustations were calculated from the results of the urine analysis, before and after each experiment, as contents remaining in each artificial bladder. The model conditions changed during the experiment and led to …

Metallurgical Structures Of As-Cast And Heat-Treated High-Palladium Dental Alloys, William A. Brantley, Zhuo Cai, Alan B. Carr, John C. Mitchell

Cells and Materials

Scanning electron microscope observations and energy-dispersive spectroscopic analyses have been performed on two first-generation and two second-generation high-palladium dental casting alloys. A specimen design simulating a maxillary central incisor coping was employed to conserve metal, while providing thin and thick sections to yield a range of solidification rates. The alloys were centrifugally cast in air, following standard dental laboratory techniques; three castings were prepared for each alloy. Each casting was sectioned to produce two mirror-image specimens, and one specimen received the appropriate oxidation heat treatment, followed by a simulated full porcelain firing sequence. After metallographic polishing, specimens were examined with …

A Scanning Electron Microscope Study Of The Ultrastructural Organization Of Bone Mineral, F. B. Bagambisa, U. Joos, W. Schilli

Cells and Materials

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study samples of lamellar bone at magnifications typical for the published transmission electron micrographs, to gain more insight into the three-dimensional ultrastructure of bone mineral. Untreated (whole bone) samples allowed an assessment of the degree of mineralization. Deproteinized samples revealed the ultrastructural form and organization of bone apatite to be a function of the extent to which collagen fibers were imbibed with mineral. Numerous parallel formations reminiscent of troughs, gutters, or furrows, pierced and traversed the mineralization front. These troughs showed varying diameters identifiable with collagen fibers, and were separated from one another …

Immunohistochemical Investigation Of Tracks Left By The Migration Of Fibroblasts On Titanium Surfaces, Y. Abiko, D. M. Brunette

Cells and Materials

Fibronectin, a major attachment protein, has been thought to be involved in pathway guidance, a process in which cells migrate along specific pathways within a tissue during development. Fibroblasts exhibit the phenomenon of contact guidance, the tendency of cells to be guided in their direction of migration by the shape of the substratum. The purpose of our study was to test the hypothesis that fibronectin tracks are deposited by fibroblasts moving on smooth and grooved titanium surfaces.

The study was carried out on human gingival fibroblasts which were plated onto both smooth and grooved titanium substrata using medium containing either …

Mineralization Of An Axially Aligned Collagenous Matrix: A Morphological Study, D. L. Christiansen, F. H. Silver

Cells and Materials

Bone can be described as a highly ordered composite of type I collagen integrated with an inorganic mineral phase. In vitro models of bone mineralization using collagenous substrates have been reported in the literature. This study reports an in vitro system of mineralized reconstituted collagen fibers, with aligned fibrillar substructure. The collagen fibers were mineralized in a double diffusion chamber saturated with respect to calcium and phosphate. The morphology and ultrastructure of the mineral precipitate were evaluated as a function of the pH of the incubating media. Brushite crystal was observed at acidic pH. Large rectangular crystals formed at pH …

In-Vivo Reactions In Some Bioactive Glasses And Glass-Ceramics Granules, A. M. Gatti, T. Yamamuro, L. L. Hench, O. H. Andersson

Cells and Materials

Two different bioactive glasses and one glass-ceramic were implanted as granules for 2 months in rabbit muscle and for 5 months in sheep jaw in order to study the influence of the biological surroundings on the reactions of the materials.

Scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis showed that a calcium and phosphorous-rich (CaP) surface layer (adjacent to a silicon rich-layer) forms on both glasses in both implantation sites. The glass-ceramic developed only a CaP layer. A chemical process of degradation was more evident in muscle, even though the implantation time was shorter than that in bone. For all …

Are Long Term Cryopreservation And Patency Of Vein Allograft Truly Achievable?, G. Pasquinelli, G. L. Faggioli, P. Preda, M. Vici, G. N. Martinelli, R. Giardino, M. D'Addato, J. J. Ricotta

Cells and Materials

Despite extensive experimental work, neither the effect of long term cryopreservation on vein graft architecture nor the failure of alloveins due to graft rejection have yet been investigated. Herein, we investigated ultrastructurally: a) the integrity of rabbit jugular veins following 1, 2 and 3 months of cryopreservation; b) the outcome of the three-month cryopreserved vein auto- and allografts after 1 month of implantation in the rabbit carotid artery; and c) the immunologic response to cryopreserved vein allografts with and without seeded autologous endothelium. Prior to implantation, the cryopreserved rabbit veins were well-maintained except for endothelial cell damage. Following implantation, the …