Scanning electron microscopy study of bone intracortical vessels using an injection and fractured surfaces technique.

The intracortical canal/vessel systems of long bones are not yet completely understood in terms of their morphology and physiology, mainly because of the difficulty of injecting the small calibre vessels and cutting the calcified matrix. Here, we apply a novel method combining perfusion of the vessels and fracture of the cortical bone to enlighten the architecture of this system. The femurs of ten rabbits were perfused with a water-soluble dye (China ink) or alcoholic glycerol solution, and the fractured cortex specimens were then examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).