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Three-Dimensional Characterization of the Collagen–Hydroxyapatite Interaction During Heterotopic Ossification in Healing Rat Achilles Tendons

Sharma, Kunal LU orcid ; Silva Barreto, Isabella LU orcid ; Dejea, Hector LU ; Rodriguez Fernandez, Irene ; Ferreira Sanchez, Dario ; Eliasson, Pernilla ; Pierantoni, Maria LU orcid and Isaksson, Hanna LU orcid (2026) In Small Science 6(6).
Abstract

Pathological ossification is seen affecting different organs across the body. This includes the Achilles tendon, where the healing process after rupture can be impaired by heterotopic ossifications (HO). The formation pathways for HO in tendons are still debated, and one reason for this is our limited knowledge of their structure and composition in 3D. This study utilizes a multimodal 3D characterization approach to study HO and the surrounding healing tissue at 3-, 6-, and 12-week post-transection in rat Achilles tendons. Microcomputed tomography provided 3D microstructural information. Small- and wide-angle scattering tensor tomography contributed with combined collagen and hydroxyapatite (HA) 3D nanostructural information. Combined... (More)

Pathological ossification is seen affecting different organs across the body. This includes the Achilles tendon, where the healing process after rupture can be impaired by heterotopic ossifications (HO). The formation pathways for HO in tendons are still debated, and one reason for this is our limited knowledge of their structure and composition in 3D. This study utilizes a multimodal 3D characterization approach to study HO and the surrounding healing tissue at 3-, 6-, and 12-week post-transection in rat Achilles tendons. Microcomputed tomography provided 3D microstructural information. Small- and wide-angle scattering tensor tomography contributed with combined collagen and hydroxyapatite (HA) 3D nanostructural information. Combined 3D X-ray diffraction and fluorescence provided high-resolution structural dimensions of HA crystallites, and chemical composition of both the deposits and the surrounding healing tendon tissue. Morphologically, dense mineralized tissue appeared more fibrous, with higher co-localized quantities of Zn present internally, while porous regions of HO deposits had Zn localization primarily at the boundary. Collagen d-spacing was higher within HO deposits than in the surrounding collagenous tendon tissue. Collagen misalignment close to the HO boundary supports the notion of tissue mineralization occurring prior to the full assembly of the healing tendon network. This methodology can be extrapolated to investigate pathological ossification in other tissues at the nanoscale while capturing the heterogeneity of entire specimens.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
biomineralization, material science, nanoscale, nanostructures, X-ray scattering
in
Small Science
volume
6
issue
6
article number
e202500644
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:105042330000
  • pmid:42338503
DOI
10.1002/smsc.202500644
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
96c3d661-88a9-43ee-8429-9642325e2264
date added to LUP
2026-08-21 14:46:58
date last changed
2026-09-18 16:31:49
@article{96c3d661-88a9-43ee-8429-9642325e2264,
  abstract     = {{<p>Pathological ossification is seen affecting different organs across the body. This includes the Achilles tendon, where the healing process after rupture can be impaired by heterotopic ossifications (HO). The formation pathways for HO in tendons are still debated, and one reason for this is our limited knowledge of their structure and composition in 3D. This study utilizes a multimodal 3D characterization approach to study HO and the surrounding healing tissue at 3-, 6-, and 12-week post-transection in rat Achilles tendons. Microcomputed tomography provided 3D microstructural information. Small- and wide-angle scattering tensor tomography contributed with combined collagen and hydroxyapatite (HA) 3D nanostructural information. Combined 3D X-ray diffraction and fluorescence provided high-resolution structural dimensions of HA crystallites, and chemical composition of both the deposits and the surrounding healing tendon tissue. Morphologically, dense mineralized tissue appeared more fibrous, with higher co-localized quantities of Zn present internally, while porous regions of HO deposits had Zn localization primarily at the boundary. Collagen d-spacing was higher within HO deposits than in the surrounding collagenous tendon tissue. Collagen misalignment close to the HO boundary supports the notion of tissue mineralization occurring prior to the full assembly of the healing tendon network. This methodology can be extrapolated to investigate pathological ossification in other tissues at the nanoscale while capturing the heterogeneity of entire specimens.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sharma, Kunal and Silva Barreto, Isabella and Dejea, Hector and Rodriguez Fernandez, Irene and Ferreira Sanchez, Dario and Eliasson, Pernilla and Pierantoni, Maria and Isaksson, Hanna}},
  keywords     = {{biomineralization; material science; nanoscale; nanostructures; X-ray scattering}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Small Science}},
  title        = {{Three-Dimensional Characterization of the Collagen–Hydroxyapatite Interaction During Heterotopic Ossification in Healing Rat Achilles Tendons}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smsc.202500644}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/smsc.202500644}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}