ABSTRACT
Connective tissue remodelling has provided important clues in the mechanism of collagen fibril development. It has been established that significant changes occur in the relative composition and state of aggregation of the various chemical components in connective tissue when the tensile and compressional stresses to which the tissue is normally subjected are altered. Although the non-collagenous components have a significant effect in determining the structure and mechanical role of connective tissue, the chapter deals primarily with the collagenous component. Considerable success has been achieved in furthering the understanding of the mechanism of collagen fibril growth and maturation and also the relationship between collagen fibril size distribution and mechanical attributes of connective tissues. Collagen molecules from dense connective tissues are produced by the cleavage of amino- and carboxy-terminal peptides from the procollagen molecules synthesized by the cells.
