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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Synthesis of Keratin-based Nanofiber for Biomedical Engineering
Published on: February 7, 2016
Skin keratin correlates with bone and tendon collagen quality: a proof-of-concept clinical study using FTIR
Alexander J Rondon1, William Querido2, Serge Tzeuton1
1Rothman Orthopaedics, Philadelphia, USA.
Background:
There is a current need for non-invasive approaches to clinically assess the quality of bone and tendon tissues. We hypothesize that skin keratin properties correlate with those of collagen in tendon and bone.
Methods:
Eight clinical patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty were enrolled. We applied Fourier-transform-infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy to evaluate whether superficial skin composition reflected tendon and bone quality. Resultant data was analyzed for peak intensities and ratios reflecting the tissue content of specific molecules.
Results:
In-situ FTIR spectra of skin showed peaks assigned to keratin and keratin/lipid content in the stratum corneum. Ex-vivo spectra of harvested bone and tendon showed peaks reflecting collagen quality and quantity, as well as tissue mineralization in bone. Significant correlations were observed between the content of keratin-specific FTIR signal in the skin and collagen quality in bone(r = 0.72;p < 0.05) and tendon(r = 0.76;p < 0.05), as well as between collagen quality in bone and tendon(r = 0.89;p < 0.05). Moreover, a correlation was found between the keratin/lipid content in skin and the degree of bone tissue mineralization(r = 0.70;p = 0.053).
Conclusions:
This preliminary study highlights the potential of FTIR assessment of skin as a non-invasive approach to assess bone and tendon quality, which could provide a cost-effective and non-invasive tool to aid in counseling patients considering musculoskeletal treatment.
