Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Sevilla, Avenida Camino de los Descubrimientos s/n, 41092, Seville, Spain.
Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Huelva, 21007, Huelva, Spain.
Ann Biomed Eng. 2022 Dec;50(12):1798-1809. doi: 10.1007/s10439-022-02992-3. Epub 2022 Jun 22.
Collagen is a ubiquitous protein present in regenerating bone tissues that experiences multiple biological phenomena during distraction osteogenesis until the deposition of phosphate crystals. This work combines fluorescence techniques and mathematical modeling to shed light on the mechano-structural processes behind the maturation and accommodation-to-mineralization of the callus tissue. Ovine metatarsal bone calluses were analyzed through confocal images at different stages of the early distraction osteogenesis process, quantifying the fiber orientation distribution and mean intensity as fiber density measure. Likewise, a mathematical model based on the experimental data was defined to micromechanically characterize the apparent stiffening of the tissue within the distracted callus. A reorganization of the fibers around the distraction axis and increased fiber density were found as the bone fragments were gradually separated. Given the degree of significance between the mathematical model and previous in vivo data, reorganization, densification, and bundle maturation phenomena seem to explain the apparent mechanical maturation observed in the tissue theoretically.
胶原蛋白是一种普遍存在的蛋白质，存在于再生骨组织中，在牵张成骨过程中经历多种生物学现象，直到磷酸盐晶体的沉积。这项工作结合荧光技术和数学建模，揭示了在骨痂组织的成熟和矿化适应过程中机械结构的变化。通过对早期牵张成骨过程不同阶段的羊跖骨骨痂进行共聚焦图像分析，定量纤维取向分布和平均强度作为纤维密度测量。同样，基于实验数据定义了一个数学模型，以微力学方式描述牵张骨痂中组织的明显变硬。随着骨碎片逐渐分离，发现纤维围绕牵张轴重新排列，纤维密度增加。考虑到数学模型与以前体内数据之间的显著程度，重组、密集化和束成熟现象似乎可以从理论上解释组织中观察到的明显机械成熟。
