Synchrotron X-ray bio-imaging of natural and synthetic bone-graft materials in an aqueous environment

Bone-graft materials in dentistry have osteoinductive and osteoconductive abilities, which depend on their microstructural characteristics, such as their porosity, particle size, micro channels, and absorption. These characteristics have been observed using various imaging techniques, such as optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). However, most techniques cannot provide images in water, even though graft materials in vivo are invariably in contact with different water-based fluids. Synchrotron X-ray imaging allows sample microenvironments to be controlled as X-ray beams easily penetrate air and water. In this report, we used the synchrotron X-ray imaging technique to provide in-situ images of various bone-graft materials in aqueous environments. We observed internal microstructural images of bone-graft materials in real-time in 0.9% saline solution and interactions between bone-graft materials and saline, that is, hydration patterns and bone-graft expansion.