ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the properties of screw-bone interface of expansive pedicle screw (EPS) in osteoporotic sheep by micro-CT and histological observation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Six female sheep with bilateral ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis were employed in this experiment. After EPS insertion in each femoral condyle, the sheep were randomly divided into two groups: 3 sheep were bred for 3 months (Group A), while the other 3 were bred for 6 months (Group B). After the animals being killed, the femoral condyles with EPS were obtained, which were three-dimensionally-imaged and reconstructed by micro-CT. Histological evaluation was made thereafter.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The trabecular microstructure was denser at the screw-bone interface than in the distant parts in expansive section, especially within the spiral marking. In the non-expansive section, however, there was no significant difference between the interface and the distant parts. The regions of interest (ROI) adjacent to EPS were reconstructed and analyzed by micro-CT with the same thresholds. The three-dimensional (3-D) parameters, including tissue mineral density (TMD), bone volume fraction (BVF, BV/TV), bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV) ratio, trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), were significantly better in expansive sections than non-expansive sections (P less than 0.05). Histologically, newly-formed bony trabeculae crawled along the expansive fissures and into the center of EPS. The newly-formed bones, as well as the bones at the bone-screw interface, closely contacted with the EPS and constructed four compartments.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The findings of the current study, based on micro-CT and histological evaluation, suggest that EPS can significantly provide stabilization in osteoporotic cancellous bones.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Bone Screws , Bone and Bones , Diagnostic Imaging , Pathology , Osteoporosis , Diagnostic Imaging , Pathology , Sheep , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the properties of screw-bone interface of expansive pedicle screw (EPS) in osteoporotic sheep using micro-CT and histology.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Six female sheep with bilateral ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis were employed in this experiment and were randomly assigned into 2 groups: A and B. After EPS insertion in each femoral condyles, sheep in group A were bred for 3 months, while those in group B 6 months. Femoral condyles with EPS were 3D-imaged and reconstructed by micro-CT. Histology was evaluated thereafter.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The trabecular microstructure was denser at the screw-bone interface than in the distant parts in expansive section, especially within spiral marking. In the non-expansive section, however, there was no significant difference between the interface and the distant parts. The regions of interest (ROI) adjacent to EPS were reconstructed and analyzed by micro-CT using the same thresholds. The 3D-parameters generated, including tissue mineral density (TMD), bone volume fraction (BVF, BV/TV), bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV) ratio, trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), were significantly better in expansive than in non-expansive sections (P < 0.05). Histologically, newly formed bone trabeculae crawled along the expansive fissures and into the center of EPS. The newly formed bones, as well as the bone at the bone-screw interface, closely contacted the EPS and constructed four compartments.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Based on micro-CT and histological evaluation, the study suggest that EPS can significantly provide stabilization in osteoporotic cancellous bone.</p>