Ultrastructure of Bone: Hierarchical Features from Nanometer to Micrometer Scale Revealed in Focused Ion Beam Sections in the TEM

Calcified Tissue International
Kathryn GrandfieldHenry P Schwarcz

Abstract

The ultrastructure of bone has been widely debated, in part due to limitations in visualizing nanostructural features over relevant micrometer length scales. Here, we employ the high resolving power and compositional contrast of high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF STEM) to investigate new features in human bone with nanometer resolution over microscale areas. Using focused ion beam (FIB)-milled sections that span an area of 50 μm2, we have shown how most of the mineral of cortical human osteonal bone occurs in the form of long, thin polycrystalline plates (mineral lamellae, MLs) which are either flat or curved to wrap closely around collagen fibrils. Close to the collagen fibril (< 20 nm), the radius of curvature matches that of the fibril diameter, while at greater distances, MLs form arcs with much larger radii of curvature. In addition, stacks of closely packed planar (uncurved) MLs occur between fibrils. The curving of mineral lamellae both around and between the fibrils would contribute to the strength of bone. At a larger scale, rosette-like clusters of fibrils are noted for the first time, arranged in quasi-circular arrays that define tube-like structures in alternating osteonal...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jun 13, 2019·Scientific Reports·Stanislas Von EuwThierry Azaïs
Nov 25, 2018·Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology·Mohammad Maghsoudi-GanjehXiaowei Zeng
Feb 3, 2020·Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism·Jürgen ThomasThomas Gemming
Nov 12, 2020·Advanced Science·Isabella Silva BarretoHanna Isaksson
Jun 20, 2019·Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance·Thierry AzaïsAnne Lesage
Aug 21, 2021·Current Osteoporosis Reports·Asier MuñozAlessandra Carriero
Sep 12, 2021·Nature Communications·Johannes IhliFabio Nudelman
Sep 8, 2021·Microscopy Research and Technique·E Deniz ErenGijsbertus de With
Nov 18, 2018·Acta Biomaterialia·Furqan A ShahAnders Palmquist

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
X-ray
transmission electron microscopy
electron tomography

Software Mentioned

Adobe Photoshop
ImageJ
Inspect
Fiji
Image Composite Editor

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