The Hierarchical Response of Human Corneal Collagen to Load

Overview

Journal Acta Biomater

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Biomedical Engineering

Date 2017 Nov 13

PMID 29128531

Citations 35

Authors

J S Bell

S Hayes

C Whitford

J Sanchez-Weatherby

O Shebanova

C Vergari

C P Winlove

N Terrill

T Sorensen

A Elsheikh

K M Meek

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Statement Of Significance: Collagen is the primary mediator of soft tissue biomechanics, and variations in its hierarchical structure convey the varying amounts of structural support necessary for organs to function normally. Here we have examined the structural response of corneal collagen to tensile load using X-rays to probe hierarchies ranging from molecular to fibrillar. We found a previously unreported deformation mechanism whereby molecules, which are helically arranged relative to the axis of their fibril, change in tilt akin to the manner in which a spring stretches. This "spring-like" mechanism accounts for a significant portion of the applied deformation at low strains (<3%). These findings will inform the future design of collagen-based artificial corneas being developed to address world-wide shortages of corneal donor tissue.

Citing Articles

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