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Ontogenetic changes in the microarchitecture of sutures in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
Author(s) -
Zapata Uriel,
Liu Sean,
Sun Jun,
Elsey Ruth M.,
Wang Qian
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.489.2
Subject(s) - alligator , american alligator , anatomy , fibrous joint , biology , shearing (physics) , ontogeny , materials science , composite material , paleontology , genetics
Craniofacial sutures are bone growth fronts that respond and adapt to biomechanical environments. However, how the sutural tissues are configured for permitting growth and avoiding damage incurred by bone functional environments are unclear. We hypothesized that the microstructure of sutural tissue changed with ontogenies of bone morphology and function. Thirty suture specimens between the surangular and the dentary bones on external sides of the 14 mandibles of American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ), between 2 and 8 feet long, were evaluated using histological and micro‐CT techniques. Results demonstrated that through ontogeny, the degree of anisotropy of sutural fibers remained constant (Mean 0.71± S.D. 0.17), indicating preferential fiber orientation within the sutures. The percent of bone volume within the suture and the complexity of sutures increased, indicating the mineralization of sutures and changes in sutural mechanical properties. Further work is needed to characterize the link between suture micromorphology and its functional environments such as tensile, compressive, and shearing dominant strain fields. Grant Funding Source : NSF grant 0725183