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Further studies on the anisotropic distribution of collagen in articular cartilage by μMRI
Author(s) -
Zheng ShaoKuan,
Xia Yang,
Badar Farid
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.22648
Subject(s) - cartilage , articular cartilage , anisotropy , isotropy , anatomy , materials science , articular surface , matrix (chemical analysis) , chemistry , biomedical engineering , nuclear magnetic resonance , osteoarthritis , composite material , optics , physics , pathology , medicine , alternative medicine
To further study the anisotropic distribution of the collagen matrix in articular cartilage, microscopic magnetic resonance imaging experiments were carried out on articular cartilages from the central load‐bearing area of three canine humeral heads at 13 μm resolution across the depth of tissue. Quantitative T 2 images were acquired when the tissue blocks were rotated, relative to B 0 , along two orthogonal directions, both perpendicular to the normal axis of the articular surface. The T 2 relaxation rate ( R 2 ) was modeled, by three fibril structural configurations (solid cone, funnel, and fan), to represent the anisotropy of the collagen fibrils in cartilage from the articular surface to the cartilage/bone interface. A set of complex and depth‐dependent characteristics of collagen distribution was found in articular cartilage. In particular, there were two anisotropic components in the superficial zone and an asymmetrical component in the radial zone of cartilage. A complex model of the three‐dimensional fibril architecture in articular cartilage is proposed, which has a leaf‐like or layer‐like structure in the radial zone, arises in a radial manner from the subchondral bone, spreads and arches passing the isotropic transitional zone, and exhibits two distinct anisotropic components (vertical and transverse) in the surface portion of the tissue. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.