Objective: To investigate the disparity in early revascularization of the membranous and endochondral bone grafts.
Methods: Twenty Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups of 10 each. Full-thickness cranial (membranous) and split-thickness iliac crest (endochondral) onlay bone grafts were placed subperiosteally onto the snout of the animal without bony fixation. At 7 and 14 days after grafting the bone grafts together with the recipient sites were harvested. Revascularization was studied utilizing opacifying injection and computerized image analysis technique.
Results: The extent of vascularization at 7 days was 11.88% and 22.33% in membranous and endochondral bone grafts, respectively, and they developed to be 15.93% and 34.93% at 14 days, respectively.
Conclusion: The results indicated that endochondral bone grafts were more rapidly revascularized than membranous bone grafts at 7 and 14 days (P < 0.05). Differences in graft architecture are theorized to account for the relationship between the vascularization and volume maintenance in the bones of different embryonic origin.