<< Back to the abstract archive
Healing in small mouse calvarial bone defects
Kinsella Jr CR, Bykowski MR, Lensie EL, Cray JJ, Cooper GM, Losee JE.
Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
2010-03-16
Presenter: Christopher R Kinsella Jr
Affidavit:
Director Name:
Author Category: Resident/Fellow
Presentation Category: Basic Science Research
Abstract Category: Craniomaxillofacial
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the healing process in calvarial bone defects much smaller than "critical-size" (defects < 5mm in diameter).
Methods: Sixty-four 8-week-old C57BL/J6 mice were divided equally into two groups. Following scalp incision and exposure, a circular bone defect was created in the skull using either a 1.8mm trephine (Group 1) or a 0.5mm dental burr (Group 2) and the scalp was closed. Eight animals per group were euthanized and examined radiographically and histologically at 0, 2, 4 and 12-week time points. Images were examined using ImageJ software. Results were analyzed in SPSS using a univariate ANOVA test.
Results: For the 1.8mm group, mean percent healing at 2, 4, and 12 weeks was 16%, 25.4%, and 15.5% respectively. For the 0.5mm group, mean percent healing at 2, 4, and 12 weeks was 45.3%, 64%, and 58% respectively. ANOVA was only significant for Group effect (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: The results of our study show that the percentage of defect healing is different for larger and smaller defects with greater healing seen in the smaller, 0.5mm defect group. No significant healing was seen after 2 weeks, suggesting that therapies aimed at treating chronic defects or nonunions can be tested as early as 2 weeks postoperatively. Furthermore, we were unable to find consistent and complete healing of any size defect.
