Browsing by Author "Moorman, Scott WJ."

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    Investigation of Collagen Fiber Crimp Morphology and Microstructural Organization in Annulus Fibrosus by Ultra High-Field MRI
    (2015-05-01) Moorman, Scott WJ.; Duncan, Neil
    Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a condition that affects the biochemical and biomechanical integrity and function of intervertebral discs. While the causes of DDD are many, changes to the mechanical behavior and extracellular matrix (ECM) of annulus fibrosus (AF) have been documented. Collagen is a major component of the ECM and has a specialized organization and morphology that is functionally significant. There are limited non-invasive modalities capable of visualizing collagen fiber morphology and AF architecture at the microscopic level. The objective was to investigate the three-dimensional collagen microstructure within healthy bovine AF by ultra high-field (9.4T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Collagen crimp and trans lamellar cross bridges were detected along surface and interior AF. Fiber bundles were also shown to reorient following circumferential tension. Together, an MRI protocol and model has been developed to detect mechanically relevant markers that could be used to better understand structural and biomechanical changes with degeneration.