Abstract
Subcritical calvarial defects heal spontaneously and optical methods can study the healing without mechanically perturbing the bone. In this study, 1mm defects were created on the skulls (in vivo) of Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 14). After 7 (n = 7) and 14 days (n = 7) of healing, the subjects were sacrificed and additional defects were similarly created (control). Raman spectroscopy (785nm) was performed at the two time points and defect types. Spectra were quantified by the mineral/matrix ratio, carbonate/phosphate ratio and crystallinity. Mineral/matrix of in vivo defects is lower than that of controls by ~34% after 7 days and ~21% after 14 days. Carbonate/phosphate is 8% and 5% higher while crystallinity is 7% and 3% lower, respectively. Optical profiling shows that the surface roughness increases 1.2% from controls to in vivo after 7 days, then decreases 13% after 14 days. Overall, the results show maturation of mineral crystals during healing and agree with microscopic assessment.
Highlights
The bones are complex calcified tissues designed to fulfil important functions like protection, support and locomotion
A figure showing average values with standard deviations among the 7 and 14 days subjects corresponding to the surface, control and in vivo defects has been provided in Appendix
Bone compositional changes are vital to the fracture healing process
Summary
The bones are complex calcified tissues designed to fulfil important functions like protection, support and locomotion. During this process, the rapid formation of granulation tissue is replaced by fibrocartilaginous, known as soft callus, which is gradually renewed by a woven bone, known as hard callus [5]. Traditional methods like radiographic imaging and clinical examination are used to monitor and assess the bone healing process and remain the gold standard. These methods are less suited for identifying the composition of the mineral and matrix fashioned during the healing process. In the case of bone, Raman uses the vibrations within the mineral lattice and the protein matrix [10]. Raman provides very useful information about the mineral and matrix, complementing the traditional methods
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