The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) of the knee joint, one of the strongest ligaments of the body, is also the target of traumatic injuries. Once injured, its healing potential is limited. The ACL mainly consists of packed and thick collagen fibres oriented along the long axis in a wavy pattern, and this unique wavy pattern is essential for providing load-bearing protection to the knee joint. This SEM image shows a bioengineered fibrous scaffold made from synthetic biomaterials with a wavy pattern, with amplitudes and wavelengths similar to the collagen fibers present in a native ACL.
Submission Year:
2017-18
Photographer's affiliation:
Staff
Academic areas:
Smith Engineering
Photo:
Categories:
Smith Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Materials Discovery and Molecular Design
Health, Wellness and the Determinants of Human Health
Patient-Oriented Research, Transformative Health Care and Health Promotion
Location of photograph:
Dupuis Hall, Queen’s University
Prize name:
Photographer's name:
Fei Chen
Display Photographers Affiltion + Faculty or Department:
Staff, Chemical Engineering