Qu Dovina, Chuang Philip J, Prateepchinda Sagaw, Balasubramanian Priya S, Yao Xinwen, Doty Stephen B, Hendon Christine P, Lu Helen H
Biomaterials and Interface Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 1210 Amsterdam Avenue, 351 Engineering Terrace, MC 8904, New York, New York 10027, United States.
Structure-Function Imaging Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, 500 W. 120th Street, 1300 S. W. Mudd Building, MC 4712, New York, New York 10027, United States.
ACS Biomater Sci Eng. 2017 Nov 13;3(11):2806-2814. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00602. Epub 2016 Dec 9.
There remains a lack of understanding of the structural changes that occur across the complex, multitissue anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-to-bone insertion as a function of aging. The objective of this study is to provide a multiscale comparison of matrix properties across the skeletally immature and mature ACL-to-bone insertion. Using complementary imaging methods, micro- and ultrastructural analysis of the insertion revealed that collagen fiber orientation at the interface changes with age, though the degree of collagen organization is maintained over time. These changes are accompanied by a decrease in collagen fibril density and are likely driven by physiological loading. Mineral crystal structure and crystallinity are conserved over time, despite regional differences in crystallinity between the interface and bone. This suggests that mineral chemistry is established early in development and underscores its important functional role. Collectively, these findings provide new insights into interface development and set critical design benchmarks for integrative soft tissue repair.
目前，人们对复杂的多组织前交叉韧带（ACL）与骨连接处随年龄增长而发生的结构变化仍缺乏了解。本研究的目的是对骨骼未成熟和成熟的ACL与骨连接处的基质特性进行多尺度比较。使用互补成像方法对连接处进行微观和超微结构分析发现，尽管胶原蛋白的组织程度随时间保持不变，但界面处的胶原纤维取向会随年龄变化。这些变化伴随着胶原纤维密度的降低，并且可能是由生理负荷驱动的。尽管界面和骨之间的结晶度存在区域差异，但矿物晶体结构和结晶度随时间保持不变。这表明矿物化学在发育早期就已确立，并强调了其重要的功能作用。总的来说，这些发现为界面发育提供了新的见解，并为软组织综合修复设定了关键的设计基准。
