The early revascularization of membranous bone.

The experimental finding that membranous onlay bone grafts maintain volume and viability to a greater extent than do endochondral grafts may be related to the more rapid vascularization of membranous bone. Microangiographic techniques were used to study the rates of vascularization of membranous and endochondral bone grafts in adult white New Zealand rabbits at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after bone grafting. Vascularization patterns were quantified microscopically using a modified point-counting technique. At 3 days, membranous bone grafts demonstrated vessel ingrowth from both soft tissue and host bone. Little ingrowth was seen in endochondral grafts. By day 7, 2.5 vessels per square were identified entering membranous grafts, while an average of 0.6 vessels per square were counted for endochondral bone grafts. At day 14, there was an average of greater than 20 vessels per square for membranous grafts versus 1.8 for their endochondral counterparts. At 21 days, the endochondral grafts demonstrated persistent avascular central areas not seen in membranous grafts. Membranous onlay bone grafts in the rabbit are more rapidly vascularized than endochondral grafts. This factor may affect the greater volume maintenance seen in experimental membranous grafts.