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Fig. 3 | BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Fig. 3

From: Characterization of nano-structural and nano-mechanical properties of osteoarthritic subchondral bone

Fig. 3

TEM and SEAD images of thin unstained sections from the grade I OA and the grade IV OA trabecular bone correlated with the corresponding EDS analysis. (a) Characteristic fibril banding patterns are seen in grade I OA trabecular bone. (b) The grade IV bone shows a region of high electron density lacking a hierarchal structure (left rectangle), combined with cross-banding patterns in the remaining regions (right rectangle). (c) High magnification of selected area in image "a" show faint bands (black arrows) which are perpendicular to the long axis of fibril (blue arrow). Clusters of linear features with a distinct profile can be seen (yellow arrow heads). (d) High magnification of a region with indistinct structure showed a possible long axis of fibrils (blue arrow) and completely mineralized fibrils (white arrows) next to the electron dense region. (e) High magnification of the cross-banding pattern region in the grade IV bone shows fibrils with wide darker bands (black arrows) and with increasing electron density spread to whole fibrils along the long axis (blue arrow) which exhibited non-hierarchical structures (white arrows); discrete dark features were identified with amorphous profile (yellow arrowheads). (f) SEAD pattern of the grade I OA bone, blue arrow indicates the preferential c-axis orientation of carbonated HA within the tissue. (g) SEAD pattern of high dense region in the grade IV OA bone, blue arrow indicated the predominant c-axis orientation of carbonated HA within the tissue. (h) SEAD pattern of cross-banding pattern region in the grade IV OA bone, blue arrow indicates the predominant c-axis orientation of carbonated HA within the tissue. (i) EDS spectra of the grade I OA bone. (j) EDS spectra of the high density region in the grade IV OA bone. (k) EDS spectra of the banding pattern region in the grade IV OA bone. The images are representative of 5 different patient samples graded according to the disease severity

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