Scanning electron microscopy of bone: instrument, specimen, and issues

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Boyde, Alan¹; Jones, Sheila J.¹

Scanning electron microscopy of bone: instrument, specimen, and issues

Microsc Res Tech. February 1, 1996;33(2):92-120

©1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Affiliations

¹Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
Abstract and keywords

There are many ways available now to maximise and analyse the information that can be obtained on the structure and constitution of bone using SEM. This paper considers a range of methods and the problems that arise relating to instrumentation and methodology as they apply to the use of SEM in the study of bone. In addition to the review content, some novel technical approaches to the SEM of bone are considered here for the first time; these include low kV imaging for the detection of new surface bone packets (and residual demineralized matrix after resorption), low kV BSE imaging of uncoated, embedded, and unembedded samples, environmental SEM for the study of wet tissue, low distortion, very low magnification imaging for the study of cancellous bone architecture, the use of multiple detectors for fast electrons in improving the imaging of porous samples, and high resolution, low voltage imaging for the study of collagen degradation during bone resorption.

Keywords: Scanning electron microscopy; Bone; Mineralisation; Resorption; Osteoporosis
Links

DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0029(19960201)33:2<92::AID-JEMT2>3.0.CO;2-0

PubMed: 8845522

WoS: A1996TN26600002
History

Received: 1994-02-16

Accepted: 1994-10-03

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2005	Skedros JG, Holmes JL, Vajda EG, Bloebaum AD. Cement lines of secondary osteons in human bone are not mineral‐deficient: new data in a historical perspective. Anat Rec. September 2005;286A(1):781-803.
2002	Benezra Rosen V, Hobbs LW, Spector M. The ultrastructure of anorganic bovine bone and selected synthetic hyroxyapatites used as bone graft substitute materials. Biomaterials. February 2002;23(3):921-928.
1997	Roschger P, Fratzl P, Klaushofer K, Rodan G. Mineralization of cancellous bone after alendronate and sodium fluoride treatment: a quantitative backscattered electron imaging study on minipig ribs. Bone. May 1997;20(5):393-397.
1997	Bloebaum RD, Skedros JG, Vajda EG, Bachus KN, Constantz BR. Determining mineral content variations in bone using backscattered electron imaging. Bone. May 1997;20(5):485-490.
1998	Boyde A, Compston JE, Reeve J, Bell KL, Noble BS, Jones SJ, Loveridge N. Effect of estrogen suppression on the mineralization density of iliac crest biopsies in young women as assessed by backscattered electron imaging. Bone. March 1998;22(3):241-250.
1998	Roschger P, Fratzl P, Eschberger J, Klaushofer K. Validation of quantitative backscattered electron imaging for the measurement of mineral density distribution in human bone biopsies. Bone. October 1998;23(4):319-326.
2004	Loveridge N, Power J, Reeve J, Boyde A. Bone mineralization density and femoral neck fragility. Bone. October 2004;35(4):929-941.
2009	Busse B, Hahn M, Soltau M, Zustin J, Püschel K, Duda GN, Amling M. Increased calcium content and inhomogeneity of mineralization render bone toughness in osteoporosis: mineralization, morphology and biomechanics of human single trabeculae. Bone. December 2009;45(6):1034-1043.
2010	Schneider P, Meier M, Wepf R, Müller R. Towards quantitative 3d imaging of the osteocyte lacuno-canalicular network. Bone. November 2010;47(5):848-858.
2014	Dong P, Haupert S, Hesse B, Langer M, Gouttenoire P-J, Bousson V, Peyrin F. 3D osteocyte lacunar morphometric properties and distributions in human femoral cortical bone using synchrotron radiation micro-CT images. Bone. March 2014;60:172-185.
2016	Mirzaali MJ, Schwiedrzik JJ, Thaiwichai S, Best JP, Michler J, Zysset PK, Wolfram U. Mechanical properties of cortical bone and their relationships with age, gender, composition and microindentation properties in the elderly. Bone. December 2016;93:196-211.
1999	Rinnerthaler S, Roschger P, Jakob HF, Nader A, Klaushofer K, Fratzl P. Scanning small angle X-ray scattering analysis of human bone sections. Calcif Tiss Int. May 1999;64(5):422-429.
2016	Hunt HB, Donnelly E. Bone quality assessment techniques: geometric, compositional, and mechanical characterization from macroscale to nanoscale. Clin Rev Bone Miner Metab. September 2016;14(3):133-149.
2003	Boyde A. The real response of bone to exercise. J Anat. August 2003;203(2):173-189.
2016	Georgiadis M, Müller R, Schneider P. Techniques to assess bone ultrastructure organization: orientation and arrangement of mineralized collagen fibrils. J R Soc Interface. June 1, 2016;13(119):20160088.
2005	Gupta HS, Schratter S, Tesch W, Roschger P, Berzlanovich A, Schoeberl T, Klaushofer K, Fratzl P. Two different correlations between nanoindentation modulus and mineral content in the bone–cartilage interface. J Struct Biol. February 2005;149(2):138-148.
2020	Madi K, Staines KA, Bay BK, Javaheri B, Geng H, Bodey AJ, Cartmell S, Pitsillides AA, Lee PD. In situ characterization of nanoscale strains in loaded whole joints via synchrotron X-ray tomography. Nat Biomed Eng. March 2020;4(3):343-354.
2017	Heveran CM. Bone Tissue Material Properties Are Altered in Chronic Kidney Disease to Lower Fracture Resistance Determining Bone Quality [PhD thesis]. University of Colorado; 2017.
2018	Hunt HB. Characterization of Material Properties, Microarchitecture, and Mechanics of Bone from Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus [PhD thesis]. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University; December 2018.
2010	Feng L. Multi-Scale Characterization of Swine Femoral Cortical Bone and Long Bone Defect Repair by Regeneration [PhD thesis]. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; 2010.
2016	Creighton E-R. Investigating Hyperglycemic Bone Formation With High Resolution Microscopy Techniques [Master's thesis]. Hamilton, ON: McMaster University; August 2016.
2011	Ahmed F. Multiscale Quantitative Imaging of Human Femoral Heads Using X-Ray Microtomography [PhD thesis]. Queen Mary University of London; 2011.
2012	Jimenez Palomar I. Mechanical Properties of Bone At the Sub-lamellar Level [PhD thesis]. London, England: Queen Mary University of London; September 2012.
2012	Tjhia CKH. Bone Quality of Patients With Atypical Fractures and Severely Suppressed Bone Turnover [PhD thesis]. Davis, University of California; 2012.
1998	Vajda EG. Age-Related Changes in the Microstructure and Mineralization of the Female Proximal Femur [PhD thesis]. University of Utah; March 1998.