Date of Award

1-1-1981

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Anatomy and Cell Biology

Abstract

Transalveolar fiber development was studied in mandibles of albino mice, aged 12 days postnatal to adult. Light microscopic (LM), scanning electron microscopic (SEM), transmission electron microscopic (TEM), and high-voltage electron microscopic (HVEM) techniques were used. In LM, Wilder's reticular stain revealed transalveolar fibers in the crestal alveolar bone at day 14 and throughout the interdental septum at day 17. Van Gieson's method revealed transalveolar fibers in the crestal alveolar bone at day 19 and throughout the interdental septum at day 25. Differences in staining characteristics of developing transalveolar fibers were interpreted to be caused by persistence of surrounding glycosaminoglycans (GAG).In SEM, transalveolar fibers passed through alveolar bone in channels. Transalveolar fibers appeared to be attached to bone only by smaller fibers passing into the bone matrix at right angles to transalveolar fibers. These fibers were termed "anchoring fibers" in the study. Transalveolar fibers passed through the interdental septum without interruption and were continuous with cementoalveolar fibers from adjacent teeth.Transalveolar fibers in TEM and HVEM showed that they were composed of nearly parallel unit collagen fibrils. Anchoring fibers passed at right angles to transalveolar fibers. Anchoring fibers were composed of nearly parallel unit collagen fibrils. Transalveolar fibers occupied channels in bone. Channels contained a speckled material, interpreted as proteoglycan complexes. It was proposed that these complexes functioned in the maintenance of the transalveolar fiber. Osteocytes and canaliculi often occurred adjacent to transalveolar fibers. As no fibroblasts were seen adjacent to transalveolar fibers, it seemed reasonable that osteocytes were responsible for collagen maintenance.

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