Open AccessBrillouin–Raman microspectroscopy for the morpho-mechanical imaging of human lamellar bone
Author(s) -
Martina Alunni Cardinali,
Alessandro Di Michele,
Maurizio Mattarelli,
Silvia Caponi,
Marco Govoni,
Dante Dallari,
Silvia Brogini,
Francesco Masia,
Paola Borri,
Wolfgang Werner Langbein,
Francesca Palombo,
Assunta Morresi,
D. Fioretto
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of the royal society interface
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1742-5689
pISSN - 1742-5662
DOI - 10.1098/rsif.2021.0642
Subject(s) - lamellar structure , correlative , raman spectroscopy , brillouin zone , raman microspectroscopy , morpho , mineralized tissues , materials science , anisotropy , hard tissue , hyperspectral imaging , nanotechnology , optics , geology , composite material , physics , medicine , philosophy , linguistics , dentistry , dentin , remote sensing
Bone has a sophisticated architecture characterized by a hierarchical organization, starting at the sub-micrometre level. Thus, the analysis of the mechanical and structural properties of bone at this scale is essential to understand the relationship between its physiology, physical properties and chemical composition. Here, we unveil the potential of Brillouin–Raman microspectroscopy (BRaMS), an emerging correlative optical approach that can simultaneously assess bone mechanics and chemistry with micrometric resolution. Correlative hyperspectral imaging, performed on a human diaphyseal ring, reveals a complex microarchitecture that is reflected in extremely rich and informative spectra. An innovative method for mechanical properties analysis is proposed, mapping the intermixing of soft and hard tissue areas and revealing the coexistence of regions involved in remodelling processes, nutrient transportation and structural support. The mineralized regions appear elastically inhomogeneous, resembling the pattern of the osteons' lamellae, while Raman and energy-dispersive X-ray images through scanning electron microscopy show an overall uniform distribution of the mineral content, suggesting that other structural factors are responsible for lamellar micromechanical heterogeneity. These results, besides giving an important insight into cortical bone tissue properties, highlight the potential of BRaMS to access the origin of anisotropic mechanical properties, which are almost ubiquitous in other biological tissues.