The adventitia is the outermost layer of blood vessels and its mechanical properties are determined by the organization of collagen fibers in this layer. The waviness and the angular dispersion characterize the collagen fiber organization. Previous studies were mainly conducted on loaded and chemically fixed vessels, which could modify the structural organization [1]. We have combined fluorescent marker with confocal microscopy and image analysis to quantify the waviness and angular distribution of collagen fibers, and determine the correlation between the waviness distribution of fibers and their main orientation in the adventitia of rabbit common carotid arteries at their zero-stress state.
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