Little knowledge exists about the healing process of the tendon to bone insertion, and hence little can be done to improve tissue healing. The goal of this study is to describe the healing of the supraspinatus tendon to its bony insertion under a variety of loading conditions. Tendons were surgically detached and repaired in rats. Rat shoulders were then immobilized, allowed cage activity, or exercised. Shoulders that were immobilized demonstrated superior structural (significantly higher collagen orientation), compositional (expression of extracellular matrix genes similar to the uninjured insertion), and quasilinear viscoelastic properties (A=0.30±0.10 MPa vs. 0.16±0.08 MPa, B=17.4±2.9 vs. 15.1±0.9, and vs. 233±40 s) compared to those that were exercised, contrary to expectations. With this knowledge of the healing response, treatment modalities for rotator cuff tears can be developed.
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February 2003
Technical Papers
Tendon to Bone Healing: Differences in Biomechanical, Structural, and Compositional Properties Due to a Range of Activity Levels
S. Thomopoulos,
S. Thomopoulos
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
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G. R. Williams,
G. R. Williams
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
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L. J. Soslowsky
L. J. Soslowsky
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
Search for other works by this author on:
S. Thomopoulos
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
G. R. Williams
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
L. J. Soslowsky
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
Contributed by the Bioengineering Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING. Manuscript received January 2002; revised manuscript received August 2002. Associate Editor: L. A. Setton.
J Biomech Eng. Feb 2003, 125(1): 106-113 (8 pages)
Published Online: February 14, 2003
Article history
Received:
January 1, 2002
Revised:
August 1, 2002
Online:
February 14, 2003
Citation
Thomopoulos , S., Williams , G. R., and Soslowsky, L. J. (February 14, 2003). "Tendon to Bone Healing: Differences in Biomechanical, Structural, and Compositional Properties Due to a Range of Activity Levels ." ASME. J Biomech Eng. February 2003; 125(1): 106–113. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1536660
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