A: Unseeded control Chitosan showing no radioopacity within the implant (a). Radiographic evidence of bone formation around the BMMSC seeded implants (arrow) compared with the underlying host cortical bone (*) (b).
B: Alizarin red positive staining of the host cortical bone (*) used as positive control (a) and the newly generated tissue that forms a collar (arrow) around the implants seeded with BMMSC (b).
C: Masson-trichrome stained frontal sections of the harvested Chitosan implants (Ch) with the surrounding underlying host cortical bone (*) and overlying periosteum. The control unseeded implants show fibroblastic cells embedded among sparse collagen fibers (arrowhead) stained in green (a,c), whereas several osteoblastic cells (arrow) (d) are embedded within the newly formed collagenous matrix which is integrated with the host cortical bone (*) (b,d).
D: Hematoxylin and Eosin stained frontal sections of the newly generated tissue showing new bone spicules (arrowhead) with embedded osteocytes (arrow) (a). Evidence of basophilia within the newly forming bone matrix with its numerous osteoblastic cells (arrow) (b).
