Restoration of a Critical Mandibular Bone Defect Using Human Alveolar Bone-Derived Stem Cells and Porous Nano-HA/Collagen/PLA Scaffold

Figure 7

Micro-CT images of the mandibular defects at 8 weeks after implantation. (A, a) The critical-size bone defect in the untreated group was unfilled. (B, b) For defects filled with an nHAC/PLA scaffold, new bone formation in the open scaffold pores, with incomplete healing on the surface of the defect, was observed. (C, c) The defect surface was healed with a thin cortical shell bridge in the nHAC/PLA + aBMSCs group. (D, d) The defect surface was completely healed with a thick cortical shell bridge in the nHAC/PLA + preinduced aBMSCs group. (E, e) In the AB group, the defect healed well, and the iliac graft block and mandibular bone could not be distinguished. (The red boxes represent the defect area in the mandible, and the blue arrow indicates an incomplete cortical shell.) (F) The percentages of osteoid tissue formation, mature bone formation, and total bone formation were determined by histomorphometric measurements. Differences are significant at . Groups with the same symbol () were not significantly different. (G) The bone volume density in micro-CT is presented as the percentage regeneration of the defect. Differences are significant at .