A novel method for in vivo visualization of the microcirculation of the mandibular periosteum in rats

Objective: The periosteum plays an important role in bone physiology, but observation of its microcirculation is greatly limited by methodological constraints at certain anatomical locations. This study was conducted to develop a microsurgical procedure which provides access to the mandibular periosteum in rats.

Methods: Comparisons of the microcirculatory characteristics with those of the tibial periosteum were performed to confirm the functional integrity of the microvasculature. The mandibular periosteum was reached between the facial muscles and the anterior surface of the superficial masseter muscle at the external surface of the mandibular corpus; the tibial periosteum was prepared by dissecting the covering muscles at the anteromedial surface. Intravital fluorescence microscopy was used to assess the leukocyte-endothelial interactions and the RBCV in the tibial and mandibular periosteum. Both structures were also visualized through OPS and fluorescence CLSM.

Results: The microcirculatory variables in the mandibular periosteum proved similar to those in the tibia, indicating that no microcirculatory failure resulted from the exposure technique.

Conclusion: This novel surgical approach provides simple access to the mandibular periosteum of the rat, offering an excellent opportunity for investigations of microcirculatory manifestations of dentoalveolar and maxillofacial diseases.