Calcaneal Tendon Collagen Fiber Morphometry and Aging

0487596 - FGÚ 2018 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Hadraba, Daniel - Janáček, Jiří - Filová, Eva - Lopot, F. - Paesen, R. - Fanta, O. - Jarman, A. - Nečas, A. - Ameloot, M. - Jelen, K.
Calcaneal Tendon Collagen Fiber Morphometry and Aging.
Microscopy and Microanalysis. Roč. 23, č. 5 (2017), s. 1040-1047. ISSN 1431-9276. E-ISSN 1435-8115
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-14758S; GA MŠMT(CZ) LO1309; GA MŠMT(CZ) LM2015062
Institutional support: RVO:67985823 ; RVO:68378041
Keywords : collagen * aging * crimp * fiber orientation * tendon
OECD category: Developmental biology; Biophysics (UEM-P)
Impact factor: 2.124, year: 2017

Fibrillar collagen in tendons and its natural development in rabbits are discussed in this paper. Achilles tendons from newborn (similar to 7 days) to elderly (similar to 38 months) rabbits were monitored in intact (n(tendons) = 24) and microtome sectioned (ntendons = 11) states with label-free second harmonic generation microscopy. After sectioning, the collagen fiber pattern was irregular for the younger animals and remained oriented parallel to the load axis of the tendon for the older animals. In contrast, the collagen fiber pattern in the intact samples followed the load axis for all the age groups. However, there was a significant difference in the tendon crimp pattern appearance between the age groups. The crimp amplitude (A) and wavelength (Lambda) started at very low values (A = 2.0 +/- 0.6 mu m, Lambda = 19 +/- 4 mu m) for the newborn animals. Both parameters increased for the sexually mature animals (>5 months old). When the animals were fully mature the amplitude decreased but the wavelength kept increasing. The results revealed that the microtome sectioning artifacts depend on the age of animals and that the collagen crimp pattern reflects the physical growth and development.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0282246