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Exact location of hydroxyapatite mineral in bone relative to collagen fibrils

Ascertain the precise spatial location of hydroxyapatite (HAP)-like apatite crystals in bone relative to type I collagen fibrils, distinguishing intrafibrillar deposition (including gap regions) from extrafibrillar placement between fibrils, and characterize the resulting distribution.

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Background

Competing evidence suggests minerals may nucleate within the gap zones of collagen fibrils (intrafibrillar) or be placed between fibrils (extrafibrillar). This uncertainty impacts models of fibril mechanics and interpretations of experimental data.

Resolving mineral location is critical because spatial arrangement influences sliding, bond breaking, and the observed stiffening and brittleness under tensile loading.

References

The question of where mineral i.e. HAP-crystal, is exactly located in bone has not been answered to date and different opinions and theories exist at this point (see Discussion 4.1).

— Mineral and cross-linking in collagen fibrils: The mechanical behavior of bone tissue at the nano-scale (2403.11753 - Kamml et al., 18 Mar 2024) in Section 2.2 Mineralization of the collagen fibril, Page 3