The critical bone defect: morphological study of bone healing

In the present study we investigated the dynamics of healing of bony defects created in medial face of rabbit tibial proximal epiphysis. We took into consideration differently aged skeletally mature animals. After an experimental time of 6 weeks, bone segments undergone osteotomy were partly embedded in methylmethacrylate for the observation by polarizing light microscopy and fluorescence microscopy and partly decalcified and embedded in paraffin for the observation by bright field light microscopy. After having observed the sections, we could gather that at this experimental time the healing process is partial and involves both primary bone tissue and fibrous and granulation connective tissues. During a bone repair process it is important to obtain a satisfactory quantity and quality of the healing tissue related to the experimental end point. The study of bone healing mechanisms at short end points could be useful to test osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties of biomaterials