Depth-dependent changes in collagen organization in the human peripapillary sclera.

<h4>Purpose</h4>The collagen structure of the human peripapillary sclera plays a significant role in determining optic nerve head (ONH) biomechanics, and is therefore of interest in the study of glaucoma. The aim of the current work was to map the anisotropic collagen structure of the no...

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Main Authors: Jacek K Pijanka, Martin T Spang, Thomas Sorensen, Jun Liu, Thao D Nguyen, Harry A Quigley, Craig Boote
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2015-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118648&type=printable
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author Jacek K Pijanka
Martin T Spang
Thomas Sorensen
Jun Liu
Thao D Nguyen
Harry A Quigley
Craig Boote
author_facet Jacek K Pijanka
Martin T Spang
Thomas Sorensen
Jun Liu
Thao D Nguyen
Harry A Quigley
Craig Boote
author_sort Jacek K Pijanka
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Purpose</h4>The collagen structure of the human peripapillary sclera plays a significant role in determining optic nerve head (ONH) biomechanics, and is therefore of interest in the study of glaucoma. The aim of the current work was to map the anisotropic collagen structure of the normal human peripapillary sclera as a function of tissue depth.<h4>Methods</h4>Wide-angle x-ray scattering was used to quantify collagen fibril orientation at 0.5 mm intervals across six 150 μm-thick serial sections through the peripapillary sclera of eight normal European-derived human eyes. Two structural parameters were measured: 1) the relative number of fibrils preferentially aligned at a given angle within the tissue plane, 2) the degree of collagen alignment (anisotropy).<h4>Results</h4>The inner-most one-third of the peripapillary scleral stroma (nearest to the choroid) was characterised by collagen fibrils either randomly arranged or preferentially aligned radially with respect to the ONH. In contrast, the outer two-thirds of the tissue was dominated by a circumferential arrangement of collagen encircling the ONH. In all tissue regions the degree of collagen anisotropy peaked in the mid-stroma and progressively decreased towards the tissue surfaces, with the largest depth variations occurring in the inferior-nasal quadrant, and the smallest occurring in the superior-nasal quadrant.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Significant, region-specific variations in collagen structure are present in the human peripapillary sclera as a function of depth. In normal eyes, the circumferential collagen fibril architecture is most prominent in the outer two-thirds of the stroma, possibly as a mechanical adaption to more effectively support the lamina cribrosa at the level of its insertion into the scleral canal wall.
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spelling doaj-art-7079d2011b34491ba38fc964dc17564b2025-08-20T03:46:13ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01102e011864810.1371/journal.pone.0118648Depth-dependent changes in collagen organization in the human peripapillary sclera.Jacek K PijankaMartin T SpangThomas SorensenJun LiuThao D NguyenHarry A QuigleyCraig Boote<h4>Purpose</h4>The collagen structure of the human peripapillary sclera plays a significant role in determining optic nerve head (ONH) biomechanics, and is therefore of interest in the study of glaucoma. The aim of the current work was to map the anisotropic collagen structure of the normal human peripapillary sclera as a function of tissue depth.<h4>Methods</h4>Wide-angle x-ray scattering was used to quantify collagen fibril orientation at 0.5 mm intervals across six 150 μm-thick serial sections through the peripapillary sclera of eight normal European-derived human eyes. Two structural parameters were measured: 1) the relative number of fibrils preferentially aligned at a given angle within the tissue plane, 2) the degree of collagen alignment (anisotropy).<h4>Results</h4>The inner-most one-third of the peripapillary scleral stroma (nearest to the choroid) was characterised by collagen fibrils either randomly arranged or preferentially aligned radially with respect to the ONH. In contrast, the outer two-thirds of the tissue was dominated by a circumferential arrangement of collagen encircling the ONH. In all tissue regions the degree of collagen anisotropy peaked in the mid-stroma and progressively decreased towards the tissue surfaces, with the largest depth variations occurring in the inferior-nasal quadrant, and the smallest occurring in the superior-nasal quadrant.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Significant, region-specific variations in collagen structure are present in the human peripapillary sclera as a function of depth. In normal eyes, the circumferential collagen fibril architecture is most prominent in the outer two-thirds of the stroma, possibly as a mechanical adaption to more effectively support the lamina cribrosa at the level of its insertion into the scleral canal wall.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118648&type=printable
spellingShingle Jacek K Pijanka
Martin T Spang
Thomas Sorensen
Jun Liu
Thao D Nguyen
Harry A Quigley
Craig Boote
Depth-dependent changes in collagen organization in the human peripapillary sclera.
PLoS ONE
title Depth-dependent changes in collagen organization in the human peripapillary sclera.
title_full Depth-dependent changes in collagen organization in the human peripapillary sclera.
title_fullStr Depth-dependent changes in collagen organization in the human peripapillary sclera.
title_full_unstemmed Depth-dependent changes in collagen organization in the human peripapillary sclera.
title_short Depth-dependent changes in collagen organization in the human peripapillary sclera.
title_sort depth dependent changes in collagen organization in the human peripapillary sclera
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118648&type=printable
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