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Biomaterials may be any class of material that aids in the regeneration, replacement, or augmentation of damaged tissues. The design of biomaterials is becoming increasingly sophisticated as new technologies enable the manufacture and incorporation of smaller components and structural features. Thus, a demand for equally sophisticated tools and methods to study biomaterials are necessary. Two such tools are X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and electron microscopy. Micro-CT has the advantage of imaging materials in 3D and non-destructively, but cannot reach the same resolving power as electron microscopy. However, electron microscopy has limited application with biomaterials due to destructive sample preparation requirements. The advantages and limitations of each imaging technique presents a complementary relationship between the two. This thesis aims to develop and apply a complementary workflow using X-ray and electron microscopy to investigate two diverse biomaterials: a titanium dental implant, and collagen tissue scaffold. In a pilot study, a 3D printed titanium dental implant with a novel dual-stemmed design was investigated for its biocompatibility in vivo. Dual-stemmed and conventional conical implants were inserted into the tibia of New Zealand White rabbits for 3 and 12 weeks, then retrieved with surrounding bone. The implants were analyzed using micro-CT, electron microscopy, and histology. Active bone growth and remodelling around the dual-stemmed implant at both time points was observed. Comparative bone-implant contact indicated the dual-stemmed implants supported bone-implant integration, and demonstrates the comparable biocompatibility of these 3D printed stemmed implants in rabbits up to 12 weeks. In a separate study, a gold functionalized collagen scaffold for tissue engineering applications has been developed. This scaffold design is intended for improved detection of scaffold degradation behaviour in vivo using X-ray CT. In this thesis, micro-CT and electron microscopy were used to analyze the resultant scaffold structure after fabrication, as it is important for understanding the outcomes of in vivo experiments. Imaging revealed a highly heterogeneous structure at both the micron and nanometer length scales. Interconnected pores from 50 – 400 μm made up 80% of the scaffold volume, while gold nanoparticles and agglomerates ranging from 16 – 1000 nm were non-uniformly dispersed at the nanoscale throughout the collagen matrix. This work highlights how complementary X-ray and electron microscopy can be applied to characterize diverse biomaterials during developmental and pre-clinical phases. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / The continued development of next generation biomedical materials, otherwise known as biomaterials, is in part dependant on the resources and technology that exist to drive manufacturing, characterization, and testing. Biomaterials are being designed and controlled at length scales smaller than the diameter of a single hair, and therefore specialized tools are required to accurately investigate and characterize these new designs. Two such tools are X-ray and electron microscopy, which can be used to image and understand three-dimensional biomaterials non-destructively, and with high resolution, respectively. However, both imaging techniques struggle to provide both. This thesis aims to develop and apply a complementary workflow using X-ray and electron microscopy to investigate two diverse biomaterials: a titanium dental implant, and collagen tissue scaffold, with high resolution, and in three dimensions.

Le système ostéocytaire soulève un intérêt croissant depuis quelques années car il est joue un rôle important dans l'adaptation de l'os. Le système ostéocytaire est inclus dans un réseau poreux dénommé le réseau lacuno-canaliculaire (LCN). L’observation du système ostéocytaire est difficile car les ostéocytes sont profondément enfouies dans la matrice osseuse et difficilement accessible par les techniques optiques. Récemment l’équipe de Creatis a montré la faisabilité d’imager le LCN en 3D grâce à la micro tomographie par rayonnement synchrotron. Toutefois, il n’existe actuellement pas de méthodes d’analyse permettant de quantifier, de façon automatique, le réseau lacuno-canaliculaire en 3D. L’objectif de cette thèse était de développer des méthodes d’analyse d’images permettant d’extraire des paramètres quantitatifs sur le réseau lacuno-canaliculaire. La première partie, consacrée à l’état de l’art. Le chapitre 1 présente les objectifs de ce travail. Le chapitre 2 rappelle les éléments de base sur le tissu osseux et présente les caractéristiques du réseau lacuno-canaliculaire. Le chapitre 3 présente les différentes méthodes d’imagerie utilisées jusqu’à présent pour étudier le réseau lacuno-canaliculaire. Le chapitre 4 présente l’état de l’art sur les paramètres qui sont classiquement utilisés pour caractériser le réseau lacuno-canaliculaire. La seconde partie est consacrée aux contributions de ce travail. Le chapitre 5 présente les deux systèmes expérimentaux de l’ESRF sur lesquels des images d’échantillons osseux ont été acquises. Le chapitre 6 décrit la méthode développée pour la quantification des lacunes ostéocytaires à partir d’images à l’échelle micrométrique. Elle propose de calculer des paramètres issus des moments géométriques ainsi que des paramètres basés sur la notion de volumes intrinsèques. Les méthodes sont appliquées à une série de 13 échantillons acquis en collaboration avec le Laboratoire d’Imagerie Paramétrique, Paris. Les résultats obtenus sont comparés et discutés par rapport à ceux de la littérature. Le chapitre 7 décrit la quantification des canalicules reliant les ostéocytes à partir d’images à l’échelle sous-micrométrique. En particulier, nous nous sommes intéressées à estimer le nombre de canalicules issues d’une lacune ostéocytaire, paramètre encore jamais mesuré en 3D. L’évolution de ce paramètre en fonction de la distance au centre de la lacune a permis de mettre en évidence et de quantifier la ramification des canalicules. Le chapitre 8 propose l’application des méthodes développées à une série d’échantillons acquis en collaboration le groupe de Sharmila Majumdar à l’université de San Francisco. Dans ce chapitre, nous avons travaillé sur une nouvelle méthode de segmentation du réseau lacuno-canaliculaire basée sur une méthode de chemins géodésiques. Les premiers résultats acquis sur 8 échantillons humains d’âges différents sont présentés. Finalement, le chapitre 9 conclut ce travail et présente des perspectives. / The osteocyte system has raised increasing interest in the recent years, since it is hypothesized to play an important role in orchestrating bone adaptation through mechanosensation and bone mechanotransduction mechanism. The osteocytes are deeply buried within the bone matrix, where their bodies are encysted in cavities called lacunae and their stellular processes are enclosed in tunnels called canaliculi. Together, they formed the lacuno-canalicular network (LCN). The geometry of the LCN is of importance since it is supposed to potentially affect and reflect the viability of the osteocyte and is supposed to be related to biomechanical constraints at the cell level. However, studying the LCN is quite challenging, due to limitations in an ideal imaging modality and the lack of quantitative analysis tools. In this thesis, we propose computational efficient and automated methods to quantify the 3D morphological properties of the LCN from synchrotron radiation (SR) micro / nano-CT images. For image acquisition, we used the SR micro/nano-CT setups installed on beamlines ID19 and ID22 at ESRF. A series of human cortical samples were imaged with spatial resolutions ranging between 3.5 µm to 60 nm. For the 3D assessment of lacunae, we used an image moment-based approach to calculate the volume, length, width, height and anisotropy of each osteocyte lacuna. We employed a fast algorithm to further calculate the surface area, the Euler number and the SMI of each lacuna. Validation of segmentation and experimental results on 13 bone samples are presented. For the 3D assessment of canaliculi, we propose a method to quantify the canalicular ramification around each lacuna. After segmentation, our method first labels each lacuna from the LCN. Then, a signature of the numbers of canaliculi at different distances from the lacunar surface is estimated through the calculation of topological parameters. Validation of this method and statistical results a large 3D SR micro-CT image of a human femoral bone sample are reported. We also improved the segmentation of the canaliculi and illustrated the feasibility of the application on a series of bone samples. We investigated a segmentation approach based on minimum cost paths and geodesic voting. A parallel computation scheme was implemented to reduce the computation times. The LCN was characterized by using the previous methods. Besides, we introduced the parameters from the Voronoi tessellation. Statistical results are reported on 8 large 3D micro-CT images, including around a hundred lacunae and the canaliculi. Future works will concern the improvement of canaliculi segmentation of from images at 300 nm as well as its evaluation and further characterization of LCN from SR CT images at both 300 nm and 50 nm. This work opens many perspectives for a better knowledge of the physiopathology of bone at the cellular scale.

[pt] A Construção Civil é uma das indústrias que mais geram resíduos sólidos no mundo. Os agregados reciclados (RCD), como opção aos agregados obtidos por exploração de jazidas, derivam de materiais reprocessados que foram anteriormente utilizados na construção e demolição. Como o reaproveitamento de RCD vem crescendo em âmbito mundial, mas a qualidade e a padronização do material ainda são um impedimento à utilização em maiores escalas, faz-se necessário uma investigação das propriedades deste material. No presente estudo a microtomografia computadorizada (microCT) foi utilizada a fim de gerar imagens bidimensionais e tridimensionais para observar a estrutura porosa do material e, através de uma rotina computacional, as imagens obtidas foram avaliadas de forma qualitativa e quantitativa. Inicialmente, a rotina de processamento das imagens aconteceu para que fossem reduzidos os efeitos de ruídos provenientes da obtenção das imagens no microtomógrafo, além de uma padronização dos histogramas de todas as camadas. As imagens das amostras foram segmentadas e quantificadas para que a porosidade (poros e canais porosos) pudesse ser identificada e analisada. De forma complementar foram utilizadas também as técnicas de microscopia óptica e a microscopia eletrônica de varredura para análise da porosidade. Os resultados de volume, razões de aspecto e esfericidade dos poros dos concretos com e sem agregados reciclados foram analisados e comparados com as suas respectivas resistências à compressão. Os resultados mostraram, como esperado, uma porosidade maior nos corpos de prova com adição de RCD. Com uma diferença de quase 50 por cento no volume da porosidade, é importante destacar que a resistência à compressão de ambas as amostras foi satisfatória e dentro de uma faixa próxima de valores (31,4MPa para o concreto de referência e 25,73 MPa para o concreto com adição de RCD). Este resultado pode ser explicado pela necessidade de se eliminar os objetos menores de 1 voxel, o que pode ter causado uma alteração nos valores dos volumes encontrados, ou seja, eliminou-se mais poros menores de 1voxel nos CP s de referência. / [en] Civil Construction is one of the industries that generate the most solid waste in the world. Recycled aggregates (RCD), as an option to aggregates obtained by mining deposits, derive from reprocessed materials that were previously used in construction and demolition. As the reuse of RCD has been growing worldwide, but the quality and standardization of the material are still an impediment to its use on larger scales, it is necessary to investigate the properties of this material. In the present study, computerized microtomography (microCT) was used in order to generate two-dimensional and three-dimensional images to observe the porous structure of the material and, through a computational routine, the images obtained were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. Initially, the image processing routine was carried out to reduce the noise effects resulting from the acquisition of the images in the microtomograph, in addition to a standardization of the histograms of all layers. The images of the samples were segmented and quantified so that the porosity (pores and porous channels) could be identified and analyzed. In a complementary way, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques were also used for porosity analysis. The results of volume, aspect ratios and pore sphericity of concretes with and without recycled aggregates were analyzed and compared with their respective compressive strengths. The results showed, as expected, a higher porosity in the specimens with the addition of RCD. With a difference of almost 50 percent in the porosity volume, it is important to highlight that the compressive strength of both samples was satisfactory and within a range close to values (31.4MPa for the reference concrete and 25.73 MPa for the concrete with the addition of RCD). This result can be explained by the need to eliminate objects smaller than 1 voxel, which may have caused a change in the values of the volumes found, that is, more pores smaller than 1 voxel were eliminated in the reference CPs.

L'ostéoporose est une maladie caractérisée par la perte de la masse osseuse et la dégradation de la micro-architecture osseuse. Bien que l'ostéoporose ne soit pas une maladie mortelle, les fractures qu'elle provoque peuvent entraîner de graves complications (lésions des vaisseaux et des nerfs, infections, raideur), parfois accompagnées de menaces de mort. La micro-architecture osseuse joue un rôle important dans le diagnostic de l'ostéoporose. Deux appareils de tomodensitométrie courants pour scanner la micro-architecture osseuse sont la tomodensitométrie quantitative périphérique à haute résolution et la tomodensitométrie microscopique. Le premier dispositif donne accès à l'investigation in vivo, mais sa résolution spatiale est inférieure. Le micro tomodensitomètre donne une meilleure résolution spatiale, mais il est contraint à une mesure ex vivo. Dans cette thèse, notre but est d'améliorer la résolution spatiale des images de tomodensitométrie périphérique à haute résolution afin que l'analyse quantitative des images résolues soit proche de celle donnée par les images de tomodensitométrie Micro. Nous sommes partis de la régularisation de la variation totale, à une combinaison de la variation totale et du potentiel de double puits pour améliorer le contraste des résultats. Ensuite, nous envisageons d'utiliser la méthode d'apprentissage par dictionnaire pour récupérer plus de détails sur la structure. Par la suite, une méthode d'apprentissage approfondi a été proposée pour résoudre un problème de super résolution et de segmentation joint. Les résultats montrent que la méthode d'apprentissage profond est très prometteuse pour les applications futures. / Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by loss of bone mass and degradation of bone microarchitecture. Although osteoporosis is not a fatal disease, the fractures it causes can lead to serious complications (damage to vessels and nerves, infections, stiffness), sometimes accompanied with risk of death. The bone micro-architecture plays an important role for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Two common CT devices to scan bone micro architecture is High resolution-peripheral Quantitative CT and Micro CT. The former device gives access to in vivo investigation, but its spatial resolution is inferior. Micro CT gives better spatial resolution, but it is constrained to ex vivo measurement. In this thesis, we attempt to improve the spatial resolution of high resolution peripheral CT images so that the quantitative analysis of the resolved images is close to the one given by Micro CT images. We started from the total variation regularization, to a combination of total variation and double-well potential to enhance the contrast of results. Then we consider to use dictionary learning method to recover more structure details. Afterward, a deep learning method has been proposed to solve a joint super resolution and segmentation problem. The results show that the deep learning method is very promising for future applications.

Dentre as etapas do tratamento endodôntico, a limpeza e modelagem tem especial atenção, já que a conformação geométrica satisfatória e a sanificação dos canais radiculares propiciam condições favoráveis ao controle da infecção e à adequada obturação do espaço endodôntico. O desenvolvimento de instrumentos fabricados a partir da liga de níquel-titânio (NiTi) contribuiu de maneira importante para a melhora na qualidade e previsibilidade do preparo endodôntico. Os diferentes sistemas mecanizados que são propostos constantemente no mercado devem ser avaliados com detalhes, pois sua performance pode variar de acordo com as características de fabricação e design de cada instrumento. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar, por meio da microtomografia computadorizada (micro-CT), o preparo de canais mesiais de molares inferiores com o sistema XP-endo Shaper (XPS), comparando-o ao preparo realizado com instrumentos do sistema Reciproc (REC), quanto ao volume de debris dentinários remanescentes, área de paredes não tocadas, dentina excisada, aumento do volume e superfície do canal radicular e desvio do canal original no terço apical. Vinte e quatro raízes mesiais de molares inferiores, com dois canais e um forame, foram anatomicamente pareadas e divididas em 2 grupos experimentais (n=12) de acordo com o sistema utilizado para o preparo químico cirúrgico: Grupo XPS e Grupo REC. Os espécimes foram escaneados por um microtomógrafo de raios-X (SkyScan 1176) com resolução de 17.42 ?m pré e pós preparo. Com o auxílio dos softwares Dataviewer, CTan e CTVol foi possível a avaliação tridimensional do canal para observação das mudanças nos parâmetros estudados. Os dados obtidos foram comparados e, onde se identificou distribuição normal e homogeneidade das variâncias, foi utilizado o Teste t de student para analisar as hipóteses experimentais. Para os dados onde se observou distribuição não-normal, optou-se pelo teste não-paramétrico numérico (Mann- Whitney). Todos as análises foram realizadas com nível de significância de 5%. Nos resultados, em toda extensão do canal radicular, assim como para as análises por terços, não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos quanto ao transporte do canal, volume de dentina excisada e aumento do volume e superfície do canal. Identificou-se diferença significativa (p < 0,05) entre os grupos quanto a área de superfície não tocada, onde observou-se que, no canal total e nos terços cervical e médio, o grupo XPS preparou maior área do canal do que o grupo REC. Quanto ao volume e percentual de debris dentinários acumulados, o grupo REC apresentou valores estatisticamente maiores na totalidade do canal e nos terços médio e apical, evidenciando maior acúmulo de debris intra-radiculares do que o grupo XPS. Concluiuse que as técnicas de preparo avaliadas se comportaram de maneira semelhante quanto ao aumento de volume e superfície do canal, volume de dentina removida e desvio apical. Em contrapartida, o sistema XPS, por possuir cinemática rotatória excêntrica, conseguiu tocar maior quantidade de paredes e eliminar maior volume percentual de debris acumulados em relação ao sistema que se vale de cinemática reciprocante cêntrica (REC). / Among the stages of endodontic treatment, cleaning and shaping should have special attention, since a satisfactory geometry and sanification of the root canals provide favorable conditions for infection control and adequate endodontic obturation. The development of the Niquel-Titanium (NiTi) instruments contributed to the improvement in quality and predictability of the endodontic preparation. The new mechanized systems that are constantly proposed in the market must be evaluated, as their performance can vary according to the manufacturing and design features of each instrument. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), the preparation of mesial root canals of mandibular molars with the new XP-endo Shaper (XPS) system comparing it to the preparation performed with Reciproc instruments (REC), evaluating the volume of remaining dentin debris, area of untouched walls, dentin removed, increase in volume and surface of the root canal and apical tranportation. Twenty-four mandibular molar mesial roots with two canals and one foramen were anatomically matched and divided into 2 experimental groups (n = 12) according to the system used for shaping: XPS Group and REC Group. The specimens were scanned pre and post preparation by a X-ray microtomograph (SkyScan 1176) with a resolution of 17.42 ?m. With Dataviewer, CTan and CTVol softwares, it was possible a tridimensional evaluation of the root canal in order to observe changes in the studied parameters. The data were compared and, where normal distribution and homogeneity of variances were identified, Student\'s t test was used to analyze the experimental hypotheses. For the data where non-normal distributions were observed, the non-parametric numerical test (Mann-Whitney) was chosen. All analyzes were performed with a significance level of 5%. In the results, in all extension of the root canal, as well as for analyzes by thirds, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding apical transportation, volume of removed dentin and increase of volume and canal surface. A significant difference (p <0.05) was found between the groups regarding the untouched surface area, where in the total canal and in the cervical and middle thirds, the XPS group prepared a larger area of the canal than the group REC. As to the volume and percentage of accumulated dentinal debris, the REC group presented statistically higher values in the whole canal and in the middle and apical thirds, evidencing a higher accumulation of intra-radicular debris than the XPS group. It was concluded that the preparation techniques evaluated behaved similarly to the changes in volume and surface of the canal, the volume of dentin removed and the apical tranportation. The XPS system by its eccentric rotational kinematics was able to touch a larger number of walls and eliminate a greater percentage volume of accumulated debris compared to the system that uses a centralized reciprocating motion.

In this thesis, we describe several imaging techniques specifically designed and developed for the assessment of pulmonary structure, function and pathology. We then describe the application of this technology within appropriate biological systems, including the identification, tracking and assessment of lung tumors in a mouse model of lung cancer. The design and development of a Large Image Microscope Array (LIMA), an integrated whole organ serial sectioning and imaging system, is described with emphasis on whole lung tissue. This system provides a means for acquiring 3D pathology of fixed whole lung specimens with no infiltrative embedment medium using a purpose-built vibratome and imaging system. This system enables spatial correspondence between histology and non-invasive imaging modalities such as Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET), providing precise correlation of the underlying 'ground truth' pathology back to the in vivo imaging data. The LIMA system is evaluated using fixed lung specimens from sheep and mice, resulting in large, high-quality pathology datasets that are accurately registered to their respective CT and H&E histology. The implementation of an in vivo micro-CT imaging system in the context of pulmonary imaging is described. Several techniques are initially developed to reduce artifacts commonly associated with commercial micro-CT systems, including geometric gantry calibration, ring artifact reduction and beam hardening correction. A computer controlled Intermittent Iso-pressure Breath Hold (IIBH) ventilation system is then developed for reduction of respiratory motion artifacts in live, breathing mice. A study validating the repeatability of extracting valuable pulmonary metrics using this technique against standard respiratory gating techniques is then presented. The development of an ex vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and an in vivo catheter based confocal microscopy (CBCM) pulmonary imaging technique is described. Direct high-resolution imaging of sub-pleural alveoli is presented and an alveolar mechanic study is undertaken. Through direct quantitative assessment of alveoli during inflation and deflation, recruitment and de-recruitment of alveoli is quantitatively measured. Based on the empirical data obtained in this study, a new theory on alveolar mechanics is proposed. Finally, a longitudinal mouse lung cancer study utilizing the imaging techniques described and developed throughout this thesis is presented. Lung tumors are identified, tracked and analyzed over a 6-month period using a combination of micro-CT, micro-PET, micro-MRI, LSCM, CBCM, LIMA and H&E histology imaging. The growth rate of individual tumors is measured using the micro-CT data and traced back to the histology using the LIMA system. A significant difference in tumor growth rates within mice is observed, including slow growing, regressive, disappearing and aggressive tumors, while no difference between the phenotype of tumors was found from the H&E histology. Micro-PET and micro-MRI imaging was conducted at the 6-month time point and revealed the limitation of these systems for detection of small lesions ( < 2mm) in this mouse model of lung cancer. The CBCM imaging provided the first high-resolution live pathology of this mouse model of lung cancer and revealed distinct differences between normal, suspicious and tumor regions. In addition, a difference was found between control A/J mice parenchyma and Urethane A/J mice ‘normal’ parenchyma, suggesting a 'field effect' as a result of the Urethane administration and/or tumor burden. In conclusion, a comprehensive murine lung cancer imaging study was undertaken, and new information regarding the progression of tumors over time has been revealed.

La Dysplasie Ectodermique Hypohidrotique liée à l'X (DEX) est une maladie génétique liée à une mutation du gène EDA. Le phénotype exprimé par le modèle murin Tabby est l'équivalent de celui observé dans l'espèce humaine et présente des anomalies dentaires, cranio-faciales, vertébrales et des défauts de trabéculation osseuse. Dans ce contexte, une cartographie de ces anomalies chez le mutant Tabby était nécessaire et l'analyse de l’impact de la mutation Eda/Ta sur la croissance du squelette crânien et post-crânien a été étudiée. Un suivi longitudinal d'une cohorte d'individus murin Tabby (5 mâles hémizygotes EdaTa/Y, 6 femelles hétérozygotes EdaTa/+) et sauvages (n=12) a été réalisé à partir d’une succession d’acquisitions TDM pendant plus de 2 ans. L'observation des profils de croissance et de leurs paramètres a montré des anomalies de croissance du complexe crânio-facial, de la base du crâne (hypo-développement crânien) et un déficit de croissance relatif des os longs (fémur et humérus) chez les souris hémizygotes EdaTa/Y. Ces résultats mettent pour la première fois en évidence des anomalies de développement des os longs et confirment le rôle d’EDA-A dans la formation normale du squelette. Ces données constituent un pré-requis essentiel pour tester l’efficacité de tentatives de réversion phénotypique à partir de protéines recombinantes. / X-linked Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia (XLHED) is a genetic disorder due to a mutation of the EDA gene. The phenotype expressed by Tabby mice, murine model of XLHED, is equivalent to that observed in humans including dental anomalies, craniofacial and vertebral trabecular bone defects. In this context, a mapping of these anomalies in Tabby mice was necessary and the impact of the EdaTa mutation on cranial and post -cranial skeletal growth was studied. A 2 years (112 weeks) μCT follow-up of Tabby mice (5 hemizygous males EdaTa/Y, 6 heterozygous females EdaTa/+) and Wild Type group (n = 12) hasbeen performed. The observation of growth patterns and parameters showed a relative cranial hypodevelopment, abnormal growth of the craniofacial complex and a relative hypo-development of appendicular skeleton (femur and humerus) in Tabby mice. These results allowed for the first time to highlight appendicular developmental abnormalities, confirming the role of EDA-A in the normal formation of the skeleton. While enriching the phenotypic picture of this syndrome, in a therapeuticperspective, all of these data are an essential prerequisite to test the effectiveness of attempts to phenotypic reversion from recombinant proteins.

Dentre as etapas do tratamento endodôntico, a limpeza e modelagem tem especial atenção, já que a conformação geométrica satisfatória e a sanificação dos canais radiculares propiciam condições favoráveis ao controle da infecção e à adequada obturação do espaço endodôntico. O desenvolvimento de instrumentos fabricados a partir da liga de níquel-titânio (NiTi) contribuiu de maneira importante para a melhora na qualidade e previsibilidade do preparo endodôntico. Os diferentes sistemas mecanizados que são propostos constantemente no mercado devem ser avaliados com detalhes, pois sua performance pode variar de acordo com as características de fabricação e design de cada instrumento. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar, por meio da microtomografia computadorizada (micro-CT), o preparo de canais mesiais de molares inferiores com o sistema XP-endo Shaper (XPS), comparando-o ao preparo realizado com instrumentos do sistema Reciproc (REC), quanto ao volume de debris dentinários remanescentes, área de paredes não tocadas, dentina excisada, aumento do volume e superfície do canal radicular e desvio do canal original no terço apical. Vinte e quatro raízes mesiais de molares inferiores, com dois canais e um forame, foram anatomicamente pareadas e divididas em 2 grupos experimentais (n=12) de acordo com o sistema utilizado para o preparo químico cirúrgico: Grupo XPS e Grupo REC. Os espécimes foram escaneados por um microtomógrafo de raios-X (SkyScan 1176) com resolução de 17.42 ?m pré e pós preparo. Com o auxílio dos softwares Dataviewer, CTan e CTVol foi possível a avaliação tridimensional do canal para observação das mudanças nos parâmetros estudados. Os dados obtidos foram comparados e, onde se identificou distribuição normal e homogeneidade das variâncias, foi utilizado o Teste t de student para analisar as hipóteses experimentais. Para os dados onde se observou distribuição não-normal, optou-se pelo teste não-paramétrico numérico (Mann- Whitney). Todos as análises foram realizadas com nível de significância de 5%. Nos resultados, em toda extensão do canal radicular, assim como para as análises por terços, não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos quanto ao transporte do canal, volume de dentina excisada e aumento do volume e superfície do canal. Identificou-se diferença significativa (p < 0,05) entre os grupos quanto a área de superfície não tocada, onde observou-se que, no canal total e nos terços cervical e médio, o grupo XPS preparou maior área do canal do que o grupo REC. Quanto ao volume e percentual de debris dentinários acumulados, o grupo REC apresentou valores estatisticamente maiores na totalidade do canal e nos terços médio e apical, evidenciando maior acúmulo de debris intra-radiculares do que o grupo XPS. Concluiuse que as técnicas de preparo avaliadas se comportaram de maneira semelhante quanto ao aumento de volume e superfície do canal, volume de dentina removida e desvio apical. Em contrapartida, o sistema XPS, por possuir cinemática rotatória excêntrica, conseguiu tocar maior quantidade de paredes e eliminar maior volume percentual de debris acumulados em relação ao sistema que se vale de cinemática reciprocante cêntrica (REC). / Among the stages of endodontic treatment, cleaning and shaping should have special attention, since a satisfactory geometry and sanification of the root canals provide favorable conditions for infection control and adequate endodontic obturation. The development of the Niquel-Titanium (NiTi) instruments contributed to the improvement in quality and predictability of the endodontic preparation. The new mechanized systems that are constantly proposed in the market must be evaluated, as their performance can vary according to the manufacturing and design features of each instrument. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), the preparation of mesial root canals of mandibular molars with the new XP-endo Shaper (XPS) system comparing it to the preparation performed with Reciproc instruments (REC), evaluating the volume of remaining dentin debris, area of untouched walls, dentin removed, increase in volume and surface of the root canal and apical tranportation. Twenty-four mandibular molar mesial roots with two canals and one foramen were anatomically matched and divided into 2 experimental groups (n = 12) according to the system used for shaping: XPS Group and REC Group. The specimens were scanned pre and post preparation by a X-ray microtomograph (SkyScan 1176) with a resolution of 17.42 ?m. With Dataviewer, CTan and CTVol softwares, it was possible a tridimensional evaluation of the root canal in order to observe changes in the studied parameters. The data were compared and, where normal distribution and homogeneity of variances were identified, Student\'s t test was used to analyze the experimental hypotheses. For the data where non-normal distributions were observed, the non-parametric numerical test (Mann-Whitney) was chosen. All analyzes were performed with a significance level of 5%. In the results, in all extension of the root canal, as well as for analyzes by thirds, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding apical transportation, volume of removed dentin and increase of volume and canal surface. A significant difference (p <0.05) was found between the groups regarding the untouched surface area, where in the total canal and in the cervical and middle thirds, the XPS group prepared a larger area of the canal than the group REC. As to the volume and percentage of accumulated dentinal debris, the REC group presented statistically higher values in the whole canal and in the middle and apical thirds, evidencing a higher accumulation of intra-radicular debris than the XPS group. It was concluded that the preparation techniques evaluated behaved similarly to the changes in volume and surface of the canal, the volume of dentin removed and the apical tranportation. The XPS system by its eccentric rotational kinematics was able to touch a larger number of walls and eliminate a greater percentage volume of accumulated debris compared to the system that uses a centralized reciprocating motion.

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