Question

What is the role of collagen in ligament healing?
What properties of collagen makes it suitable for this role?

Answer 1

Ligaments are made up of mainly water, collagen and several aminoacids.Ligament usually undergo njury during over strecthing due to the high tension.Ligament injury healing occurs in 3 phases,They are acute inflammatory phase,proliferative phase,remodelling phase

In the second phase taht is proliferative or repair phase , several growth factors and cytokine will help in the fibroblast proliferation.Fibroblast produce varous type of collagen , proteoglycans and glycoproteins.

Collagen will aligned in the long axis of the ligamentbut, the newly type of collagen fibers are abnormal and smaller in diameter than normal ligament tissue which is followed by the remodelling phase

Collagen help in the formation of the matrix of the ligament during the healing process

2)About 85% of the collagen in the ligament is collagen 1 and the rest are 3 ,5,6.The small fibers of the collagen in the ligament align in the long axis of the ligament.collagen provide strength to the ligament by its cross linking property so the protease enzyme cant degrade the collagen.This property help the ligament to change the shape during the elongation due to force.