Fig. 1.
(A) Sixteen confocal laser-scanning microscopy (CLSM) image stacks stitched together amounting to a volume of 1,000 × 1,200 × 50 µm3 and covering the complete cross-section of the tibia. Due to the rhodamine staining, osteocyte lacunae and canaliculi are clearly visible. For reasons of presentation, a single 2D section of the 3D image is shown. (B) Enlargement of a region close to the periosteal surface with a loose network of low connectivity comprising vascular channels (green arrows). Some lacunae are marked with thin red arrows. (C) Enlargement of a region close to the periosteal surface with a dense, ordered, and well-connected LCN architecture. Newly formed bone as a response to mechanical stimulation (to the Right) is highly stained and, therefore, appears bright white.