Supramolecular Organization of Collagen Fibrils in Healthy and Osteoarthritic Human Knee and Hip Joint Cartilage.

ABSTRACT: Cartilage matrix is a composite of discrete, but interacting suprastructures, i.e. cartilage fibers with microfibrillar or network-like aggregates and penetrating extrafibrillar proteoglycan matrix. The biomechanical function of the proteoglycan matrix and the collagen fibers are to absorb compressive and tensional loads, respectively. Here, we are focusing on the suprastructural organization of collagen fibrils and the degradation process of their hierarchical organized fiber architecture studied at high resolution at the authentic location within cartilage. We present electron micrographs of the collagenous cores of such fibers obtained by an improved protocol for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Articular cartilages are permeated by small prototypic fibrils with a homogeneous diamete

SUBMITTER: Gottardi R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5079628 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature