X-ray investigations of the superstructure of collagen.

When compared with results from humid fibers, characteristic changes of the SAXS-pattern taken from dried collagen fibers have been observed. The average lateral width of the various reflexions increases with the order of reflexion whereby a fluctuation is superimposed, the type of which cannot easily be related to the reflexion order. Moreover, each of the reflexions is obviously laterally split into three components. An explanation of these characteristics can be given with the aid of a distinct model, assuming that the collagen fibrils have definitely varying diameters along their axis, whereby paracrystalline distortions appear, represented by nematic fluctuations. Additionally, there is a need for postulating a shear deformation of parts of the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]