Zhou Yongchun, Hu Jianzhong, Zhou Jingyong, Zeng Ziteng, Cao Yong, Wang Zhanwen, Chen Can, Zheng Cheng, Chen Huabin, Lu Hongbin
Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China.
Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People's Republic of China.
J Synchrotron Radiat. 2018 Nov 1;25(Pt 6):1833-1840. doi: 10.1107/S160057751801353X. Epub 2018 Oct 25.
Understanding the three-dimensional ultrastructure morphology of tendon-to-bone interface may allow the development of effective therapeutic interventions for enhanced interface healing. This study aims to assess the feasibility of propagation phase-contrast synchrotron radiation microtomography (PPC-SRµCT) for three-dimensional characterization of the microstructure in rabbit patella-patellar tendon interface (PPTI). Based on phase retrieval for PPC-SRµCT imaging, this technique is capable of visualizing the three-dimensional internal architecture of PPTI at a cellular high spatial resolution including bone and tendon, especially the chondrocytes lacuna at the fibrocartilage layer. The features on the PPC-SRµCT image of the PPTI are similar to those of a histological section using Safranin-O staining/fast green staining. The three-dimensional microstructure in the rabbit patella-patellar tendon interface and the spatial distributions of the chondrocytes lacuna and their quantification volumetric data are displayed. Furthermore, a color-coding map differentiating cell lacuna in terms of connecting beads is presented after the chondrocytes cell lacuna was extracted. This provides a more in-depth insight into the microstructure of the PPTI on a new scale, particularly the cell lacuna arrangement at the fibrocartilage layer. PPC-SRµCT techniques provide important complementary information to the conventional histological method for characterizing the microstructure of the PPTI, and may facilitate in investigations of the repair mechanism of the PPTI after injury and in evaluating the efficacy of a different therapy.
了解肌腱-骨界面的三维超微结构形态可能有助于开发有效的治疗干预措施，以促进界面愈合。本研究旨在评估传播相位对比同步辐射显微断层扫描（PPC-SRµCT）用于兔髌-髌腱界面（PPTI）微观结构三维表征的可行性。基于PPC-SRµCT成像的相位检索，该技术能够在细胞级高空间分辨率下可视化PPTI的三维内部结构，包括骨骼和肌腱，特别是纤维软骨层的软骨细胞腔隙。PPTI的PPC-SRµCT图像上的特征与使用番红O染色/固绿染色的组织学切片相似。展示了兔髌-髌腱界面的三维微观结构、软骨细胞腔隙的空间分布及其定量体积数据。此外，在提取软骨细胞腔隙后，呈现了一种根据连接珠区分细胞腔隙的颜色编码图。这在新的尺度上为PPTI的微观结构提供了更深入的见解，特别是纤维软骨层的细胞腔隙排列。PPC-SRµCT技术为传统组织学方法表征PPTI的微观结构提供了重要的补充信息，并可能有助于研究PPTI损伤后的修复机制以及评估不同治疗方法的疗效。
