ABSTRACT
Critical-size bone defects are a well-established method to analyze the resorption, the osteoconduction and the bone architecture in biomaterial science. However, the methodology used to quantitatively assess bone formation in the defects is very variable. The use of different species is reported: mice (Manassero et al, 2012; Zwingenberger et al, 2012), rat (An et al, 2012; Pisciotta et al, 2012), rabbit (Soffer et al, 2005; Savarino et al, 2007; Calvo-Guirado et al, 2011) and pig (López-López et al, 2009). The bones employed can be of mesenchymal origin, such as calvaria (An et al, 2012; Pisciotta et al, 2012; Gomes et al, 2012) and mandible (López-López et al, 2009) or endochondral bones, such as femur (Soffer et al, 2005; Savarino et al, 2007) and tibia (Calvo-Guirado et al, 2011). Moreover, the size itself of the osseous defect, and its position respect to the anatomical bone structure, as well as the observation technique and the quantification method applied differ for each study. Our group has devised a standardized procedure to assess both quantitatively and qualitatively the bone regeneration around biomaterials in critical-size defects in rabbit tibia.
