Intrafibrillar vs surface mineralization in bovine flexor tendon-derived collagen fibrils – an in vitro model of calcific tendinopathy of the human Achilles.

Calcific tendinopathy (CT) is a staged, reactive process where pre-calcific changes are followed by a calcific phase (formative, resting, resorptive) and by post-calcific remodelling in which hydroxyapatite-like deposits form and quite often resorb spontaneously. CT is most prevalent in the neck, foot and hip and within the foot. The Achilles is a well-documented site of CT, yet in all cases clinical imaging cannot resolve where mineral reside relative to collagen fibrils (intrafibrillar vs surface/extrafibrillar) which is essential to understand the impact of CT on tendons’ mechanical properties. To better understand mineral deposition in CT, we propose to develop an in vitro model that interrogates a formative-phase-like, acellular window at 37 °C using tendon-derived collagen fibrils from bovine SDF to determine mineral location and its fibrillar-scale nanomechanical signature under controlled conditions. In addition, we will take advantage of a recently published method to locally destabilize collagen molecular packing within single fibrils to test whether mechanically damage is required to nucleate the formative phase in CT.

Faculty Supervisor:

Laurent Kreplak

Student:

Partner:

Warsaw University of Technology

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Biotechnology; Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Biomanufacturing

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: