Reflected cross-polarized light microscopy as a method for measuring collagen fiber crimp in musculoskeletal tissues.

Many musculoskeletal tissues are composed primarily of type I collagen, which takes on a periodic crimp morphology that allows large tensile strains in the tissue. The spatial period of collagen fiber crimp may be used to infer internal strains in a tissue and is typically measured using transmitted cross-polarized light imaging of thin slices. However, slicing may induce specimen distortion and precludes mechanical loading of the specimen during imaging.