ePrints

Bimodal collagen fibril diameter distributions direct age-related variations in tendon resilience and resistance to rupture

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Kheng-Lim GohORCiD

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.

Abstract

Scaling relationships have been formulated to investigate the influence of collagen fibril diameter (D) on age-related variations in the strain energy density of tendon. Transmission electron microscopy was used to quantify D in tail tendon from 1.7- to 35.3-mo-old (C57BL/6) male mice. Frequency histograms ofD for all age groups were modeled as two normally distributed subpopulations with smaller (D_D1) and larger (D_D2) mean Ds, respectively. Both D_D1 and D_D2increase from 1.6 to 4.0 mo but decrease thereafter. From tensile tests to rupture, two strain energy densities were calculated: 1) u_E [from initial loading until the yield stress (σ_Y)], which contributes primarily to tendon resilience, and 2) u_F[from σ_Y through the maximum stress (σ_U) until rupture], which relates primarily to resistance of the tendons to rupture. As measured by the normalized strain energy densities u_E/σ_Y and u_F/σ_U, both the resilience and resistance to rupture increase with increasing age and peak at 23.0 and 4.0 mo, respectively, before decreasing thereafter. Multiple regression analysis reveals that increases in u_E/σ_Y(resilience energy) are associated with decreases in D_D1 and increases in D_D2, whereas u_F/σ_U (rupture energy) is associated with increases in D_D1 alone. These findings support a model where age-related variations in tendon resilience and resistance to rupture can be directed by subtle changes in the bimodal distribution of Ds.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Goh KL, Holmes DF, Lu Y-H, Purslow PP, Kadler KE, Bechet D, Wess TJ

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Applied Physiology

Year: 2012

Volume: 113

Issue: 6

Pages: 878-888

Print publication date: 26/07/2012

Date deposited: 28/09/2014

ISSN (print): 8750-7587

ISSN (electronic): 1522-1601

Publisher: American Physiological Society

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00258.2012

DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00258.2012

Altmetrics

Funding

Share