Synchrotron Radiation Microtomography Research Articles

3D porosity, flow, and transport characteristics of two L chondrites reveal wet accretion-related cosmic web-like porosity

Porosity, with its structure-dependent flow properties (permeability and tortuosity) and transport properties (thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity), is closely related to the accretion, thermal metamorphism, and associated hydrothermal alteration of ordinary chondrite (OC) parent bodies. Using synchrotron radiation microtomography (SRμCT), we reveal the varying porosity structures in two L chondrite falls of low (Mezö-Madaras L3.7) and high (Bath Furnace L6) petrologic types and quantify porosity properties, such as shape and connectivity, and related effective permeability and tortuosity factor. Although the two specimens demonstrate similar effective permeabilities, they exhibit significantly different tortuosity factors and textures of porosity, which include notable differences in void throat diameters, complexity and density of the interconnected void network, heterogeneity in void distribution, and the extent of primary and secondary porosity. The complex relationships among porosity, permeability, tortuosity, and thermal conductivity can be explained by the varying void arrangements related to varying grain sizes among the petrologic types of OCs, which in turn reflect their varying evolutionary paths.Electron microprobe and attached energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer reveal signs of hydrothermal alteration in both petrologic types. High-energy SRμCT imaging (0.65 μm voxel size) reveals the presence of a new microporosity substructure resembling a microscopic cosmic web, which may be linked to fluid-assisted metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration during wet accretion of the parent body. Furthermore, the proportion of this continuous porosity may be related to the temperatures associated with different petrologic types, and the wet accretion model may resolve the lack of correlation between petrologic types and porosity of OCs. Finally, the uncovered cosmic web-like microporosity structure may explain the observed concurrent high thermal conductivity, low permeability, and high porosity of the high-petrologic-type OCs.

Influence of Additional Strut Elements in 3D Re-Entrant Auxetic Unit Cells on the Damage and Energy Absorption Properties

Abstract Background Geometric parameter optimization, novel design, and mechanism modeling of auxetic materials have been widely studied. However, manipulating the topology of the 3d printed auxetic unit cells and its influence on the damage have yet to be explored. Objective This study aims to characterize the energy absorption properties and damage mechanisms of the modified auxetic unit cells. Methods In the current study, bending-dominated re-entrant auxetic unit cells (Cell0), torsion-dominated auxetic unit cells with cross elements (CellX), buckling-dominated auxetic unit cells with vertical elements (CellB), and bending-dominated auxetic unit cells with panels (CellW) have been fabricated by FDM (Fused deposition modeling). Uniaxial compression testing of the PLA (Polylactic acid) unit cells has been carried out, and a camera has observed their deformation behavior. SR- µCT (Synchrotron radiation microtomography) and an SEM (Secondary electron microscope) accomplished further damage analysis of the struts. Results Adding additional struts hinders the lateral shrinking of the re-entrant auxetics, and re-entrant auxetic unit cells with cross elements have shown higher energy absorption capacity and efficiency than others. The struts’ damage has been governed by building direction, printed material, and strut dimensions. Intra-layer and interlayer fracture of the layers and rupture in the circumferential direction of the PLA struts have been observed in the SR- µCT slices. Conclusions By additional struts, it is possible to fabricate complex auxetic structures with enhanced energy absorption properties, but their inherent characteristics dominate the damage of the struts in the auxetic unit cells. Graphical Abstract

Real-time observation of compressive fracture of porous material by 10-millisecond 4D X-ray microtomography

We report on an application of 4D synchrotron radiation microtomography with a temporal resolution of 10 ms. Our device compresses a sample while rotating it at high speed, making it possible for the first time to capture the moment of a local fracture inside a porous composite material. It was visualized that the fracture was caused by local tensile shear stress, not local compressive stress.

Investigation of the porosity of L/LL4 ordinary chondrite Bjurböle using synchrotron radiation microtomography and scanning electron microscopy: Implications for parent body evolution

Porosity is an essential property of chondritic meteorites and is closely related to the genesis, thermal evolution, metamorphism, and thermal properties of the meteorite parent bodies. We study porosity, its texture, and shapes at sub-micron resolution in 3D and 2D within a 0.35 cm3 sample of the L/LL4 ordinary chondrite (OC) Bjurböle using two techniques, synchrotron radiation microtomography (SRμCT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We employ automated segmentation tools that can be applied to both SRμCT and SEM data. Successful segmentation results can be achieved by combining visual qualitative examination and machine learning algorithms.We report novel measurement results of three-dimensional porosity properties of Bjurböle, such as aspect ratio and connectivity of void spaces, and compare the results of 2D and 3D porosity analysis. The Bjurböle sample in this study is a complex, highly porous, and friable medium and the dominant type of porosity is intergranular, continuous porosity, which contains almost all porosity volume. The shapes of the void volumes have an important effect on the connectivity of the porosity and thermal transport properties. Positive correlations between void diameter and aspect ratio as well as void volume and connectivity are present in Bjurböle, which indicate that smaller voids have lower aspect ratios and lower connectivity. In Bjurböle, small, near-spherical voids with few connections have the highest relative frequency, whereas larger void spaces with higher aspect ratios and connectivity are significantly fewer. Completely isolated pores, i.e., voids surrounded by solid material, also have a high relative frequency, and they exist within the chondrules and the matrix. However, the volume percentage of these pores is negligible compared to that of the continuous porosity.Our results support the previously measured high porosities of Bjurböle. The volume percentage of intergranular void spaces, in particular in the matrix, and the measured high porosities are not in line with the results of thermal evolution and sintering models of chondritic parent bodies regarding petrologic type 4, which implies that Bjurböle originates from a parent body with an initial onion shell structure that fragmented during or after its metamorphic peak and quickly reaccreted into a rubble pile.

Exploring the three-dimensional vasculature of dermal hard tissues in thyestiid osteostracans using synchrotron radiation microtomography

ABSTRACT Osteostracans are stem-gnathostomes with bony tissues that represent an important link between living jawed and jawless vertebrates, the latter of which lack skeletal hard tissues. In this study, a number of skeletal microremains from a diverse group of osteostracans called thyestiids have been investigated using propagation phase-contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography. This enabled detailed reconstructions of their three-dimensional vasculature. The dermal skeleton of thyestiids is divided into three layers that vary in proportion between taxa, similar to gnathostomes and other osteostracans. The basal layer is confirmed as an acellular bony tissue composed of fiber bundles that contains narrow, vertical canals and/or large cavities. Bundles bend around smaller canals but form jagged edges around larger cavities, which suggests delayed mineralization. The presumed vascular mesh canals of the deep middle layer are radially arranged in some taxa, but more irregular or even tree-like in others, suggesting a relation to how the elements developed and grew. A number of mesh canals ascend toward the superficial layer where they supply the subepidermal vascular plexus, or create pore fields that open to the surface in some taxa. These ascending mesh canals most likely expanded and formed a network of canals underneath more extensive pore fields. Aestiaspis viitaensis has a simple upper canal system above these fields, while Tremataspis mammillata and Tr. milleri scales have a polygonal network of upper mesh canals above extensive perforated septa. These systems are most likely homologous, but their relation to intra- and inter-areal canals described in other osteostracans remains ambiguous.

Brain capillary structures of schizophrenia cases and controls show a correlation with their neuron structures

Brain blood vessels constitute a micrometer-scale vascular network responsible for supply of oxygen and nutrition. In this study, we analyzed cerebral tissues of the anterior cingulate cortex and superior temporal gyrus of schizophrenia cases and age/gender-matched controls by using synchrotron radiation microtomography or micro-CT in order to examine the three-dimensional structure of cerebral vessels. Over 1 m of cerebral blood vessels was traced to build Cartesian-coordinate models, which were then used for calculating structural parameters including the diameter and curvature of the vessels. The distribution of vessel outer diameters showed a peak at 7–9 μm, corresponding to the diameter of the capillaries. Mean curvatures of the capillary vessels showed a significant correlation to the mean curvatures of neurites, while the mean capillary diameter was almost constant, independent of the cases. Our previous studies indicated that the neurites of schizophrenia cases are thin and tortuous compared to controls. The curved capillaries with a constant diameter should occupy a nearly constant volume, while neurons suffering from neurite thinning should have reduced volumes, resulting in a volumetric imbalance between the neurons and the vessels. We suggest that the observed structural correlation between neurons and blood vessels is related to neurovascular abnormalities in schizophrenia.

The emergence of a complex pore-canal system in the dermal skeleton of Tremataspis (Osteostraci).

Thyestiids are a group of osteostracans (sister-group to jawed vertebrates) ranging in time from the early Silurian to Middle Devonian. Tremataspis is unique among thyestiids in having a continuous mesodentine and enameloid cover on its dermal elements, and an embedded pore-canal system divided into lower and upper parts by a perforated septum. The origin of this upper mesh canal system and its potential homology to similar canal systems of other osteostracans has remained a matter of debate. To investigate this, we use synchrotron radiation microtomography data of four species of Tremataspis and three other thyestiid genera. Procephalaspis oeselensis lacks an upper mesh canal system entirely, but Aestiaspis viitaensis has partially enclosed upper canals formed between slightly modified tubercles that generally only cover separate pore fields. Further modification of tubercles in Dartmuthia gemmifera forms a more extensive, semi-enclosed upper mesh canal system that overlies an extensive perforated septum, similar to that found in Tremataspis. Lower mesh canals in P. oeselensis are radially arranged and buried tubercles indicate a continuous growth and addition of dermal hard tissues. These features are lacking to varying degrees in the other investigated thyestiids, and Tremataspis probably had a determinate growth accompanied by a single mineralization phase of its dermal hard tissues. The previously proposed homology between the semi-enclosed upper canal system in Dartmuthia to the pore-canal system in Tremataspis is supported in this study, but the suggested homologies between these canals and other parts of the thyestiid vasculature to those in non-thyestiid osteostracans remain unclear. This study shows that three-dimensional modeling of high-resolution data can provide histological and structural details that can help clarify homology issues and elucidate the evolution of dermal hard tissues in osteostracans. In extension, this can give insights into how these tissues relate to those found among jawed vertebrates.

The Methodology to produce Rhodnius prolixus head structures made by 3D printing using Synchrotron Radiation Microtomography

3D printing technology has an important role at the study animal anatomy, and, for a long time, scientists have been searched for techniques that allow to create accurate 3D replicas of plants and animal specimens. In this work it was developed a methodology to print insects 3D replicas using X-Ray synchrotron microtomography. The insect chosen was Rhodnius prolixus, a hematophagous Hemiptera traditionally used as a model for studies of insect physiology, vector control strategies and parasite-vector interactions. The results obtained from this work showed that combining microtomography with 3D printing could be a powerful tool to obtain accurate 3D replicas of insects, allowing anatomical studies without the necessity of sacrificing the animal for dissection.

Aquatic Habits and Niche Partitioning in the Extraordinarily Long-Necked Triassic Reptile Tanystropheus

Tanystropheus longobardicus is one of the most remarkable and iconic Triassic reptiles. Mainly known from the Middle Triassic conservation Lagerstätte of Monte San Giorgio on the Swiss-Italian border, it is characterized by an extraordinarily long and stiffened neck that is almost three times the length of the trunk, despite being composed of only 13 hyper-elongate cervical vertebrae [1-8]. Its paleobiology remains contentious, with both aquatic and terrestrial lifestyles having been proposed [1, 9-12]. Among the Tanystropheus specimens, a small morphotype bearing tricuspid teeth and a large morphotype bearing single-cusped teeth can be recognized, historically considered as juveniles and adults of the same species [4]. Using high-resolution synchrotron radiation microtomography (SRμCT), we three-dimensionally reconstruct a virtually complete but disarticulated skull of the large morphotype, including its endocast and inner ear, to reveal its morphology for the first time. The skull is specialized toward hunting in an aquatic environment, indicated by the placement of the nares on the top of the snout and a "fish-trap"-type dentition. The SRμCT data and limb bone paleohistology reveal that the large morphotype represents a separate species (Tanystropheus hydroides sp. nov.). Skeletochronology of the small morphotype specimens indicates that they are skeletally mature despite their small size, thus representing adult individuals of Tanystropheus longobardicus. The co-occurrence of these two species of disparate size ranges and dentitions provides strong evidence for niche partitioning, highlighting the surprising versatility of the Tanystropheus bauplan and the complexity of Middle Triassic nearshore ecosystems.

Quantitative and qualitative bone imaging: A review of synchrotron radiation microtomography analysis in bone research

All levels of the unique hierarchical structure of bone, consisting of collagen and hydroxyapatite crystals at the nanoscale to osteon/lamellae structures at the microscale, contribute to its characteristic toughness and material properties. Elements of bone's density and size contribute to bone quantity (or bone mass), whereas elements of bone's material composition, material properties, internal structure, and organization describe bone quality. Bone quantity and quality can be degraded by factors such as aging, disease, treatments, and irradiation, compromising its ability to resist fracture and sustain loading. Accessing the morphology and architecture of bone at the microscale to quantify microstructural features and assess the degree of mineralization and path of crack propagation in bone provides crucial information on how these factors are influencing bone quantity and quality. Synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography (SRμCT) was first used to assess bone structure at the end of the 1990's. One of the main advantages of the technique is that it enables accurate three-dimensional (3D), non-destructive quantification of structure while traditional histomorphometry on histological sections is inherantly destructive to the sample and two-dimensional (2D). Additionally, SRμCT uses monochromatic, high-flux X-ray beams to provide high-resolution and high-contrast imaging of bone samples. This allows the quantification of small microstructural features (e.g. osteocyte lacunae, canals, trabeculae, microcracks) and direct gray value compositional mapping (e.g. mineral quantification, cement lines) with greater speed and fidelity than lab-based micro-computed tomography. In this article, we review how SRμCT has been applied to bone research to elucidate the mechanisms by which bone aging, disease, and other factors affect bone fragility and resistance to fracture.

A Model of Microcrack Development in Human Tooth Dentin Using Data of Microtomography

The structure of dentin is characterized by the presence of microchannels—dentinal tubules (DTs) threading through the matrix composed of collagen fibris and hydroxyapatite nanocrystals. The influence of DTs on the resistance of dentin to cracking has been studied on samples prepared from human molar teeth. The samples were subjected to uniaxial compression until the onset of cracking and then studied by the method of synchrotron radiation microtomography. The obtained results allowed a model of mode II microcrack development in dentin to be formulated.

When X-Rays Do Not Work. Characterizing the Internal Structure of Fossil Hominid Dentognathic Remains Using High-Resolution Neutron Microtomographic Imaging

The internal structure of the bones and teeth of extinct primates holds a significant amount of valuable paleobiological information for assessing taxonomy, phylogenetic relationships, functional, dietary and ecological adaptive strategies, and reconstructing overall evolutionary history. Technologies based on X-ray microfocus (X-µCT) and synchrotron radiation (SR-µCT) microtomography are increasingly used to noninvasively and non-destructively investigate the endostructural properties of fossil mineralized tissues. However, depending on the taphonomic dynamics that affected the specimens following deposition, and on the nature of diagenetic processes, X-µCT and even SR-µCT may provide only faint or no contrast between the mineralized tissues, thus complicating or inhibiting the study of structural features. Using a diverse sample of dentognathic hominid specimens from continental Asia, East Africa and Indonesia, chronologically ranging from the Late Miocene to the Early-Middle Pleistocene, we present examples of the successful application of another imaging technology, neutron microtomography (n-µCT), for the extraction, 3D rendering and quantitative assessment of internal morphological detail. The specimens were scanned at the ANTARES Imaging facility (SR4a beamline) at the FRM II reactor of the Technical University of Munich, Germany, at energies ranging from 3 to 25 meV. The datasets were reconstructed with a voxel size from 20 to 27 µm, i.e., at resolutions directly comparable to the X-ray-based microtomographic records commonly used in paleobiological studies of fossil primate remains. Our analyses focused on a mandible, SNSB-BSPG 1939 X 4, representing the Late Miocene hominid Sivapithecus from the Siwaliks of Pakistan; the early Early Pleistocene (Gelasian) partial mandible HCRP-U18-501 from Malawi, among the earliest specimens attributed to the genus Homo; and an assemblage of hominid dentognathic specimens from the Early-Middle Pleistocene deposits of the Sangiran Dome, Indonesia. While X-ray-based imaging revealed from low to moderate internal contrasts for the specimen of Sivapithecus, or from extremely poor to virtually no contrast for the Pleistocene remains from East Africa and Indonesia, the application of n-µCT produced sufficient differences in contrast to distinguish between tooth tissues on the one hand, and between cortical and trabecular bone on the other, thus enabling reliable qualitative and quantitative assessments of their characteristics.

Модель развития микротрещин в дентине зубов человека на основе данных микротомографии

One of the major features of dentin structure is microtubules which pass through the matrix formed by collagen fibrils and hydroxyapatite nanocrystals. The effect of the microtubules on the fracture toughness of dentin has been studied. The samples, prepared from human molars, were subjected to uniaxial compression until cracking. Then these samples were investigated by synchrotron radiation (SR) microtomography. The results obtained allowed us to work out a model of the mode II crack development in human dentin.

Phase-contrast 3D tomography of HeLa cells grown in PLLA polymer electrospun scaffolds using synchrotron X-rays.

Advanced imaging is useful for understanding the three-dimensional (3D) growth of cells. X-ray tomography serves as a powerful noninvasive, nondestructive technique that can fulfill these purposes by providing information about cell growth within 3D platforms. There are a limited number of studies taking advantage of synchrotron X-rays, which provides a large field of view and suitable resolution to image cells within specific biomaterials. In this study, X-ray synchrotron radiation microtomography at Diamond Light Source and advanced image processing were used to investigate cellular infiltration of HeLa cells within poly L-lactide (PLLA) scaffolds. This study demonstrates that synchrotron X-rays using phase contrast is a useful method to understand the 3D growth of cells in PLLA electrospun scaffolds. Two different fiber diameter (2 and 4 µm) scaffolds with different pore sizes, grown over 2, 5 and 8days invitro, were examined for infiltration and cell connectivity. After performing visualization by segmentation of the cells from the fibers, the results clearly show deeper cell growth and higher cellular interconnectivity in the 4 µm fiber diameter scaffold. This indicates the potential for using such 3D technology to study cell-scaffold interactions for future medical use.

Nondestructive 3D-evaluation of human dentin by microtomography using synchrotron radiation

Results of Synchrotron Radiation (SR) microtomography of human dentin specimens subjected to compression tests are presented. A special attention is paid to cracks formed in the samples under compression. In all the samples, the dominant crack paths were observed to deviate and deflect around certain areas at or near to dentinal tubules. It is confirmed that secondary (satellite) cracks play an important role in dominant crack blunting. It is shown that microtomography is an effective method for investigation of the formation of satellite cracks and crack-tubule interactions over surface areas and across the whole depth of a dentin specimen. These processes can be visualized and evaluated using reconstructed 2D slices. A qualitative model for the formation of secondary cracks opening at stress concentrators that are dentinal tubules is suggested. It is shown that on the surface of the tubules, which are the closest to the tip of a mode II crack, the tensile circumferential stress can reach extremely high values that are more than enough for generation of secondary cracks.

The effect of metformin and P38 MAPK inhibitor on diabetic bone porosity in non-obese type 2 diabetic rats

Hyperglycaemia enhance bone resorption and impairment. Controlling blood glucose via metformin benefits bone cells. Hyperglycaemia enhances basal phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, which aggravates bone resorption. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the osteoprotective effects of metformin and p38 MAPK inhibitor in non-obese T2DM rats. In this study, non-obese T2DM (Goto-kakizaki, GK) rats were divided into four groups including DM group, metformin treatment, SB203580 treatment, and metformin combined with SB203580. Wistar rats were used as control group. Femur, tibia and iliac rat bones were collected to determine bone porosity via synchrotron radiation microtomography. Primary osteoblasts were isolated from calvarias to investigate cell proliferation and osteoblast function including alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression and calcium deposition. The results showed that diabetes increase bone porosity. Treatment with metformin significantly reduced porosity in trabecular and cortical bone of the femur, tibia and iliac while SB203580 significantly reduced porosity in cortical bone. A combination group showed significantly reduced bone porosity only in trabecular bone of the femur. Isolated osteoblasts showed lower growth rates. Treatment with metformin significantly increased cell proliferation, ALP expression and calcium deposition. In summary, metformin treatment improved bone quality by reducing bone porosity, increasing cell proliferation and improving osteoblast characteristics.

SRμCT Reveals 3D Microstructural Alterations of the Vascular and Neuronal Network in a Rat Model of Chronic Compressive Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury.

The complex pathology of chronic thoracic spinal cord compression involves vascular and neuroarchitectural repair processes that are still largely unknown. In this study, we used synchrotron radiation microtomography (SRμCT) to quantitatively characterize the 3D temporal-spatial changes in the vascular and neuronal network after chronic thoracic spinal cord compression in order to obtain further insights into the pathogenesis of this disease and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. Direct 3D characterization of the spinal cord microvasculature and neural microstructure of the thoracic spinal cord was successfully reconstructed. The significant reduction in vasculature and degeneration of neurons in the thoracic spinal cord visualized via SRμCT after chronic compression were consistent with the changes detected by immunofluorescence staining. The 3D morphological measurements revealed significant reductions of neurovascular parameters in the thoracic spinal cord after 1 month of compression and became even worse after 6 months without relief of compression. In addition, the distinct 3D morphological twist and the decrease in branches of the central sulcal artery after chronic compression vividly displayed that these could be the potential triggers leading to blood flow reduction and neural deficits of the thoracic spinal cord. Our findings propose a novel methodology for the 3D analysis of neurovascular repair in chronic spinal cord compression, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results indicated that compression simultaneously caused vascular dysfunction and neuronal network impairment, which should be acknowledged as concurrent events after chronic thoracic spinal cord injury. Combining neuroprotection with vasoprotection may provide promising therapeutic targets for chronic thoracic spinal cord compression.

Synchrotron radiation micro-tomography for high-resolution neurovascular network morphology investigation.

There has been increasing interest in using high-resolution micro-tomography to investigate the morphology of neurovascular networks in the central nervous system, which remain difficult to characterize due to their microscopic size as well as their delicate and complex 3D structure. Synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging, which has emerged as a cutting-edge imaging technology with a high spatial resolution, provides a novel platform for the non-destructive imaging of microvasculature networks at a sub-micrometre scale. When coupled with computed tomography, this technique allows the characterization of the 3D morphology of vasculature. The current review focuses on recent progress in developing synchrotron radiation methodology and its application in probing neurovascular networks, especially the pathological changes associated with vascular abnormalities in various model systems. Furthermore, this tool represents a powerful imaging modality that improves our understanding of the complex biological interactions between vascular function and neuronal activity in both physiological and pathological states.

Synchrotron radiation microtomography of brain hemisphere and spinal cord of a mouse model of multiple sclerosis revealed a correlation between capillary dilation and clinical score.

Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disorder in which the myelin sheaths of axons are damaged by the immune response. We report here a three-dimensional structural analysis of brain and spinal cord tissues of a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). EAE-induced mice were raised with or without administration of fingolimod, which is used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Brains and spinal cords dissected from the EAE mice were lyophilized so as to reconstitute the intrinsic contrast of tissue elements, such as axons, in X-ray images. Three-dimensional structures of the brain hemispheres and spinal cords of the EAE mice were visualized with synchrotron radiation microtomography. Microtomographic cross sections reconstructed from the X-ray images revealed dilation of capillary vessels and vacuolation in the spinal cord of the EAE mice. Vacuolation was also observed in the cerebellum, suggesting that the neuroinflammatory response progressed in the brain. The vessel networks and vacuolation lesions in the spinal cords were modelled by automatically tracing the three-dimensional image in order to analyze the tissue structures quantitatively. The results of the analysis indicated that the distribution of vacuolations was not uniform but three-dimensionally localized. The mean vessel diameter showed a linear correlation with the clinical score, indicating that vasodilation is relevant to paralysis severity in the disease model. We suggest that vasodilation and vacuolation are related with neurological symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

Three-dimensional characterization of the microstructure in rabbit patella-patellar tendon interface using propagation phase-contrast synchrotron radiation microtomography.

Understanding the three-dimensional ultrastructure morphology of tendon-to-bone interface may allow the development of effective therapeutic interventions for enhanced interface healing. This study aims to assess the feasibility of propagation phase-contrast synchrotron radiation microtomography (PPC-SRµCT) for three-dimensional characterization of the microstructure in rabbit patella-patellar tendon interface (PPTI). Based on phase retrieval for PPC-SRµCT imaging, this technique is capable of visualizing the three-dimensional internal architecture of PPTI at a cellular high spatial resolution including bone and tendon, especially the chondrocytes lacuna at the fibrocartilage layer. The features on the PPC-SRµCT image of the PPTI are similar to those of a histological section using Safranin-O staining/fast green staining. The three-dimensional microstructure in the rabbit patella-patellar tendon interface and the spatial distributions of the chondrocytes lacuna and their quantification volumetric data are displayed. Furthermore, a color-coding map differentiating cell lacuna in terms of connecting beads is presented after the chondrocytes cell lacuna was extracted. This provides a more in-depth insight into the microstructure of the PPTI on a new scale, particularly the cell lacuna arrangement at the fibrocartilage layer. PPC-SRµCT techniques provide important complementary information to the conventional histological method for characterizing the microstructure of the PPTI, and may facilitate in investigations of the repair mechanism of the PPTI after injury and in evaluating the efficacy of a different therapy.