Quantitative relationship between osteoclasts, osteoclast nuclei and the extent of the resorbing surface in hamster periodontal disease.

Osteoclast activity in terms of number, nucleus content and position in relation to bone surface features was quantitated during experimental periodontal disease. The increase in total osteoclast population, particularly on periosteal rather than endosteal surfaces, was due mainly to the number of cells in direct contact with the bone surface (on-bone osteoclasts). On-bone cell nuclei per mm of bone surface was constantly significantly greater in experimental animals than in controls. There was a positive linear relationship between the extent of resorbing surface and the nucleus content of the on-bone osteoclasts. Thus, in experimental periodontal disease, increases in the number of on-bone osteoclasts are responsible for the changes in the total number of these cells and disease activity is expressed more accurately by the number of nuclei of on-bone osteoclasts per mm of bone surface.