Histomorphometric and Temporal Evaluation of Bacterial-Induced Mandibular Bone Marrow Inflammation (Osteomyelitis)

Authors

  • Mustafa Basim Ali
  • Ansam Mahdi Khalel Kufa university
  • Noor Mohammed Hadi Layedh
  • Ghassan N. Talib Kufa university

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/d3000.2026.1596

Keywords:

Inflammation, Rats, Animal Models

Abstract

Bacterial osteomyelitis and isolated bone marrow inflammation of the mandible represent critical clinical challenges in dentistry. While cortical bone dynamics are well documented, early intramedullary cellular events remain poorly quantified. This study quantitatively evaluated the temporal histopathological changes and differential inflammatory cell recruitment in rat mandibular bone marrow following induced Staphylococcus aureus infection at 5 and 10 days post inoculation via digital histomorphometry. Twenty-four adult male Wistar rats (200-250g) were randomly allocated into Control (n=12) and Infected (n=12) groups, subdivided into Day 5 and Day 10 interval endpoints (n=6 per subgroup). Bacterial marrow infection was induced via intraosseous injection of 1 X 107 CFU/ml S. aureus. Mandibular specimens were processed, decalcified in EDTA, stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E), and quantitatively analyzed using ImageJ software. At Day 5, infected marrow exhibited a significant surge in overall cellular density (8,900+-620 cells/mm2)  compared to control (4,250+-310 cells/mm2, p<0.001), driven by acute neutrophilic influx (142.5+-12.8 PMNs/HPF) and profound adipocyte depletion (4.2+11.1% vs 52.4 +14.1%, p<0.001). By Day 10, PMN counts significantly declined (31.4 +-5.6 PMNs/HPF, p<0.001), accompanied by a marked surge in mononuclear cells (macrophages:68.3 +-7.2 PMNs/HPF; lymphocytes: 45.2+-5.1 PMNs/HPF), shifting the Neutrophil-to-Mononuclear (N/M) ratio from 3.29 down to 0.24. Digital histomorphometry combined with differential cellular profiling on H&E sections provides a very sensitive and objective dual matrix paradigm for the quantification of the marrow space remodeling during bacterial osteomyelitis.

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Published

2026-09-22

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Mechanisms of Oral Disease

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Mustafa Basim Ali, Ansam Mahdi Khalel, Noor Mohammed Hadi Layedh, Ghassan N. Talib

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