Tensile properties of human collagen fibrils and fascicles are insensitive to environmental salts.

ABSTRACT: To carry out realistic in vitro mechanical testing on anatomical tissue, a choice has to be made regarding the buffering environment. Therefore, it is important to understand how the environment may influence the measurement to ensure the highest level of accuracy. The most physiologically relevant loading direction of tendon is along its longitudinal axis. Thus, in this study, we focus on the tensile mechanical properties of two hierarchical levels from human patellar tendon, namely: individual collagen fibrils and fascicles. Investigations on collagen fibrils and fascicles were made at pH 7.4 in solutions of phosphate-buffered saline at three different concentrations as well as two HEPES buffered solutions containing NaCl or NaCl + CaCl2. An atomic force microscope technique was used for

SUBMITTER: Svensson RB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3000511 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature