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Updated: Jan 7, 2026
Analysis of Craniomaxillofacial Malformations in Mice Using Three-dimensional Microcomputed Tomography
Published on: January 17, 2025
Changes in the craniofacial morphology in sclerostin knockout mice
Kazutaka Ikeda1, Masato Kaku2, Chao Fan-Yi3
1Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Developmental Biology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Japan.
Objectives:
To investigate the influence of lack of sclerostin on craniofacial morphology in sclerostin gene (Sost) knockout (SostΔ26/Δ26) mice.
Design:
Micro computed tomography (micro-CT) was performed on both 60-day-old wild-type and SostΔ26/Δ26 mice to analyze changes in craniofacial morphology. Ten anatomical landmarks and eight measurement parameters as well as the total mandibular volume were used to assess craniofacial features. In addition, the femora of both wild-type and SostΔ26/Δ26 mice were examined using micro-CT and histological analysis. Cancellous bone volume, cortical bone volume, and the number of osteoclasts beneath the growth plate in the femora were evaluated.
Results:
The neurocranium was significantly smaller in the SostΔ26/Δ26 mice than in the wild-type mice, while the length of the angular process of the mandible was significantly greater. The total mandibular volume was significantly larger in the SostΔ26/Δ26 mice than in the wild-type mice. The volume of cancellous bone and cortical bone in the femora were significantly larger in the SostΔ26/Δ26 mice than in the littermate wild-type mice. Histological observation showed no statistically significant difference in the number of osteoclasts present in the femora between wild-type mice and SostΔ26/Δ26 mice.
Conclusions:
The present study showed a significant decrease in neurocranium and a significant increase in mandibular bone in SostΔ26/Δ26 mice compared to wild-type mice, along with increased volumes of cancellous and cortical bone in the femora.
