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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Multimodal Approach to Assess Bone Regeneration and Scaffold Performance
Published on: February 13, 2026
Scanning and transmission electron microscopy for evaluation of order/disorder in bone structure
Elena I Suvorova1, Pavel P Petrenko, Philippe A Buffat
1Institute of Crystallography Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. suvorova@ns.crys.ras.ru
Abstract:
A comparative characterization of the structure of normal and abnormal (osteoporotic) human lumbar and thoracic vertebrae samples was carried out to reveal the type of possible disorder. Samples from the bone fragments extracted during the surgery due to vertebra fractures were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), conventional and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM and HRTEM), and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Contrary to what might be expected in accordance with possible processes of dissolution, formation and remineralization of hard tissues, no changes in phase composition of mineral part, crystal sizes (length, width, and thickness), and arrangement of crystals on collagen fibers were detected in abnormal bones compared to the normal ones. The following sizes were determined by HRTEM for all bone samples:
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