title: Ptychographic X-ray nanotomography quantifies mineral distributions in human dentine.
abstract: Bones are bio-composites with biologically tunable mechanical properties, where a polymer matrix of nanofibrillar collagen is reinforced by apatite mineral crystals. Some bones, such as antler, form and change rapidly, while other bone tissues, such as human tooth dentine, develop slowly and maintain constant composition and architecture for entire lifetimes. When studying apatite mineral microarchitecture, mineral distributions or mineralization activity of bone-forming cells, representative samples of tissue are best studied at submicrometre resolution while minimizing sample-preparation damage. Here, we demonstrate the power of ptychographic X-ray tomography to map variations in the mineral content distribution in three dimensions and at the nanometre scale. Using this non-destructive method, we observe nanostructures surrounding hollow tracts that exist in human dentine forming dentinal tubules. We reveal unprecedented quantitative details of the ultrastructure clearly revealing the spatially varying mineralization density. Such information is essential for understanding a variety of natural and therapeutic effects for example in bone tissue healing and ageing.
authors: 1] Physik-Department &Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany [2] Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, United Kingdom.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Zanette
authors: Physik-Department &Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Enders
authors: Physik-Department &Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Dierolf
authors: 1] Physik-Department &Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany [2] Department of Physics &Astronomy, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, United Kingdom.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Thibault
authors: Physik-Department &Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Gradl
authors: Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Diaz
authors: Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Guizar-Sicairos
authors: Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Menzel
authors: 1] Physik-Department &Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany [2] Institut für diagnostische und interventionelle Radiologie, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 München, Germany.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Pfeiffer
authors: Julius Wolff Institute and Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Zaslansky
mesh_terms: D003804:Dentin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis*; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals