AVS 47th International Symposium
    Biomaterial Interfaces Wednesday Sessions
       Session BI-WeP

Paper BI-WeP10
Observation of Bone Fracture Healing Processes by Atomic Force Microscopy

Wednesday, October 4, 2000, 11:00 am, Room Exhibit Hall C & D

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: V. Baranauskas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil
Authors: V. Baranauskas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil
I.G. Freitas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil
Z. Jingguo, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil
M.A. Cruz-Hofling, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil
Correspondent: Click to Email
Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was used to study the healing process of bone surgical fracture in rats. We used young male adult rats (Wistar), with corporal masses between 250 and 300 grams. Each fracture was provoked by drilling a 2 mm diameter hole in one cortical tibia surface. The healing course was monitored at 8, 15 and 22 days after the fracturing. AFM images, at different magnifications, allowed to the identification of the time dependence of the osteoblastic activity, measured by the increase in the primary bone trabeculae surface and the increase in the synthesis and organization of collagen fibers of the bone matrix. Characterization of the natural recovery of the damaged bone tissue by AFM is potentially of great importance because it allows the comparison of natural recovery and the recovery induced by medicines or other cures.@footnote 1@ @FootnoteText@@footnote 1@ I. G. F. Freitas, V. Baranauskas, M. A. Cruz-Höfling, Laser effects on osteogenesis, Applied Surface Science 154-155 (2000) 548-554.