Journal
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
Volume 6, Issue -, Pages 148-158Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2011.11.008
Keywords
Collagen; Microstructure; Mechanical properties; AFM (atomic force microscopy)
Funding
- ZonMw [01SL056]
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The mechanical properties of individual collagen fibrils of approximately 200 nm in diameter were determined using a slightly adapted AFM system. Single collagen fibrils immersed in PBS buffer were attached between an AFM cantilever and a glass surface to perform tensile tests at different strain rates and stress relaxation measurements. The stress-strain behavior of collagen fibrils immersed in PBS buffer comprises a toe region up to a stress of 5 MPa, followed by the heel and linear region at higher stresses. Hysteresis and strain-rate dependent stress-strain behavior of collagen fibrils were observed, which suggest that single collagen fibrils have viscoelastic properties. The stress relaxation process of individual collagen fibrils could be best fitted using a two-term Prony series. Furthermore, the influence of different cross-linking agents on the mechanical properties of single collagen fibrils was investigated. Based on these results, we propose that sliding of microfibrils with respect to each other plays a role in the viscoelastic behavior of collagen fibrils in addition to the sliding of collagen molecules with respect to each other. Our finding provides a better insight into the relationship between the structure and mechanical properties of collagen and the micro-mechanical behavior of tissues. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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