Bone is a complex tissue of which the principal
function is to resist mechanical forces and fractures.
Bone strength depends not only on the quantity of bone
tissue but also on the quality, which is characterized by
the geometry and the shape of bones, the microarchitecture
of the trabecular bones, the turnover, the mineral,
and the collagen. Different determinants of bone
quality are interrelated, especially the mineral and collagen,
and analysis of their specific roles in bone strength
is difficult. This review describes the interactions of type
I collagen with the mineral and the contribution of the
orientations of the collagen fibers when the bone is
submitted to mechanical forces. Different processes of
maturation of collagen occur in bone, which can result
either from enzymatic or nonenzymatic processes