External mechanical loading overrules cell-cell mechanical communication in sprouting angiogenesis during early bone regeneration
Fig 3
Predictions of mechanical strains, vessel patterning and density, and comparison with experimental data.
On the top, the healing region on the 7th day post-osteotomy under rigid (top row) and semirigid (bottom row) fixation conditions; (A) predicted strain distribution; (B) principal strain directions; (C) in silico predictions of vessels pattern; (D) ex vivo vessels pattern (Emcn, Endomucin stained); (E) regions of interest (ROIs); (F-G) scatter plot of experimental vs. predicted vessel density in ROIs under rigid vs. semirigid fixation conditions. Circles represent experimental samples; crosses represent the in silico realizations; solid lines indicate the average experimental vessel density; dashed lines indicate the average in silico vessel density. Asterisks indicate a significant difference: *P value < 0.05, **P value < 0.01.