AAS ›› 2013, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (3 ): 353-356.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0529-1356.2013.03.012

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Three-dimensional visualization of microvessels related to the peripheral nerve by using microcomputed tomography

MAO Yi-hua ZHU Zhao-wei DING Mao-chao1  TANG Mao-lin 1*   

  1. 1.Department of Anatomy, Wenzhou Medical College, Zhejiang Wenzhou 325035, China; 2. Department of Orthopedics and Microsurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yatsen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
  • Received:2012-09-19 Revised:2012-11-23 Online:2013-06-06 Published:2013-07-16

Abstract:

Objective To develop a new method for three-dimensional reconstructions of microvessels related to peripheral nerve
by using microcomputed tomography(Micro-CT), and to compare the effect of imaging between two different radiopaque materials.
Methods Forty SD rats were randomly divided into 2 groups, and then injected with lead oxide-gelatin and microfil respectively.
Sciatic nerves were scanned by Micro-CT. The best scanning parameter was set up at 30kVP and 40W. The sectional images were
transferred to Dicom format and imported to a personal computer. Three-dimensional reconstructions of microvessels were performed
by using Mimics 10.0 software. Results We compared the images of the specimens injected with different radiopaque materials,
and found that imaging effect of gelatin-lead oxide was better than microfil. Micro-CT showed that imaging of gelatin-lead oxide
was of characteristics such as low cost, low variation and high definition in scanning and reconstruction. Conclusions Microfil
has disadvantages such as strict requirements of perfusion pressure, poor imaging quality and other characteristics in
microangiography, while the traditional gelatin-lead oxide has its unique advantages in those areas. Micro-CT is a good method in
study of microvascular architecture of rat’s peripheral nerve.

Key words: Microfil, Peripheral Nerve, Microcomputed tomography, Microangiography, Rat