Yq. Chen et al., BONE REMODELING AFTER INTERNAL-FIXATION WITH DIFFERENT STIFFNESS PLATES - ULTRASTRUCTURAL INVESTIGATION, Chinese medical journal, 107(10), 1994, pp. 766-770
Forty adult New Zealand rabbits were used in this experiment. Four rab
bits served as control and the rest 36 being divided into 3 groups, ea
ch of which was fixed respectively with methylmethacrylate, titanium a
lloy and stainless steel plate on the left intact tibiae. The cortical
bone beneath the plate was harvested at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after op
eration and observed by means of using transmission electron microscop
e. The major ultrastructural changes after internal fixation with diff
erent stiffness plates were alteration of osteocyte life cycle, perila
cunar matrix and disorder of osteoblast and osteoblast coupling. The g
reater the stiffness of the plate, the greater the ultrastructural cha
nge.