QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS OF REVASCULARIZATION AND NEW BONE-FORMATION IN EXPERIMENTAL BONE-GRAFTS - THE USE OF AN IMAGE INPUT AND PROCESSING SYSTEM

Revascularisation and new bone formation in bone grafts has been exten sively studied by histological techniques, but the images obtained are very complex and consequently difficult to evaluate quantitatively. W e report similar analyses in experimental bone grafts using newer comp uterised digital techniques. Fresh autografts and fresh and frozen all ografts were used. The histological analogue images from them were inp ut digitally into an image processor. The amount of revascularisation and new bone formation could then be quantified in the different graft s. This system has proved to be a useful method of evaluation which co uld be applied to the quantitative analysis of other histological imag es.