Connective tissues are biological composites comprising of collagen fibrils embedded in (and reinforcing) the hydrated proteoglycan-rich (PG) gel within the extracellular matrices (ECMs). Age-related changes to the mechanical properties of tissues are often associated with changes to the structure of the ECM, namely, fibril diameter. However, quantitative attempts to correlate fibril diameter to mechanical properties have yielded inconclusive evidence. Here, we described a novel approach that was based on the rule of mixtures for fiber composites to evaluate the dependence of age-related changes in tendon tensile strength and stiffness on the collagen fibril cross-sectional area fraction , which is related to the fibril volume fraction. Tail tendons from C57BL6 mice from age groups old were stretched to failure to determine and . Parallel measurements of as a function of age were made using transmission electron microscopy. Mathematical models (rule of mixtures) of fibrils reinforcing a PG gel in tendons were used to investigate the influence of on ageing changes in and . The magnitudes of , , and increased rapidly from (-values ) before reaching a constant (age independent) from (-values ); this trend continued for and (-values ) from , but not for , which decreased gradually (-values ). Linear regression analysis revealed that age-related changes in and correlated positively to (-values ). Collagen fibril cross-sectional area fraction is a significant predictor of ageing changes in and in the tail tendons of C57BL6 mice.
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e-mail: gohkl@ntu.edu.sg
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April 2008
Research Papers
Ageing Changes in the Tensile Properties of Tendons: Influence of Collagen Fibril Volume Fraction
K. L. Goh,
K. L. Goh
Division of Bioengineering, School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering,
e-mail: gohkl@ntu.edu.sg
Nanyang Technological University
, Singapore 639798, Singapore
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D. F. Holmes,
D. F. Holmes
School of Biological Science,
University of Manchester
, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
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H.-Y. Lu,
H.-Y. Lu
School of Biological Science,
University of Manchester
, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
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S. Richardson,
S. Richardson
School of Biological Science,
University of Manchester
, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
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K. E. Kadler,
K. E. Kadler
School of Biological Science,
University of Manchester
, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
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P. P. Purslow,
P. P. Purslow
Department of Food Science,
University of Guelph
, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
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T. J. Wess
T. J. Wess
Structural Biophysics Group, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences,
Cardiff University
, Redwood Building, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
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K. L. Goh
Division of Bioengineering, School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering,
Nanyang Technological University
, Singapore 639798, Singaporee-mail: gohkl@ntu.edu.sg
D. F. Holmes
School of Biological Science,
University of Manchester
, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
H.-Y. Lu
School of Biological Science,
University of Manchester
, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
S. Richardson
School of Biological Science,
University of Manchester
, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
K. E. Kadler
School of Biological Science,
University of Manchester
, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
P. P. Purslow
Department of Food Science,
University of Guelph
, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
T. J. Wess
Structural Biophysics Group, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences,
Cardiff University
, Redwood Building, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UKJ Biomech Eng. Apr 2008, 130(2): 021011 (8 pages)
Published Online: March 31, 2008
Article history
Received:
May 31, 2006
Revised:
September 11, 2007
Published:
March 31, 2008
Citation
Goh, K. L., Holmes, D. F., Lu, H., Richardson, S., Kadler, K. E., Purslow, P. P., and Wess, T. J. (March 31, 2008). "Ageing Changes in the Tensile Properties of Tendons: Influence of Collagen Fibril Volume Fraction." ASME. J Biomech Eng. April 2008; 130(2): 021011. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2898732
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