Periosteal microvasculature in the dog alveolar process

Most periodontal surgery has been performed on the basis of the regenerating capacity of the periosteum. Recently it has been pointed out that the blood supply is important to the osteogenic and fibrogenic activity of the periosteum. The purpose of the present study was three-dimensional observation of blood vessels distributed within the gingival periosteum and the periosteum beneath the alveolar mucosa of adult mongrel dogs. Corrosion cast specimens of vessels were observed from three directions: mucosal side, bone side, and horizontal cut surface. It was revealed that the plexus distributed in the periosteum of the gingiva formed a coarse network structure, which consisted mainly of arterioles and venules. In contrast, in the periosteum of the alveolar mucosa, a dense network structure consisting of arterioles, capillaries, and venules formed a vascular bed. Thus, the mucogingival junction was easily located even in the plexus of periosteum which was distributed beneath the gingiva and the alveolar mucosa, suggesting that the difference in tissue specificity was reflected in the plexus of the periosteum.