Abstract
Peri-implant endosseous wound healing involves cascades of cellular and molecular events that lead to the integration of the implant to the recipient bone. Currently, tools are lacking to track peri-implant healing events at high spatiotemporal resolution in vivo. A cranial window chamber model (cranial implant window chamber [CIWC]), which is compatible with confocal and multiphoton intravital microscopic imaging systems, has been developed for spatiotemporal tracking of angiogenesis, and cellular dynamics in the peri-implant wound site. In this study, we describe a step-by-step procedure for implantation of the CIWC in the calvaria of fluorescent reporter mice with endogenously labeled mesenchymal progenitor cells. The specific application of this model to track angiogenesis and cell recruitment around calvarial implants is demonstrated by in vivo images. Moreover, we developed a software platform for image processing and analysis using a MATLAB graphical user interface (GUI) and have used the created GUI for image processing and quantitative analysis of changes in vascular and cellular organization.
Impact Statement
These new experimental methods allow us to image, and quantify, angiogenesis and perivascular cell dynamics in the endosseous healing compartment. As such, the method is capable of providing a new perspective on, and unique information regarding, healing that occurs around orthopedic and dental implants.
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