Layer-Specific Distributed Collagen Fiber Orientations in Human Arteries, From Thoracic Aorta to Common Iliac

We use the well established method of polarized microscopy on picrosirius red stained tissue samples and a dispersion model to quantify over 37000 measured layer-specific 3D fiber orientations of 11 human thoracic and abdominal aortas and common iliac arteries. Our results yield mean fiber directions, quantitative dispersion data and the existence of two distinct and prominent fiber families for all layers of the aortic wall.