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Home / Equine Research Bank / Eur Cell Mater / Capacity for sliding between tendon fascicles decreases with...
European cells & materials2013; 25; 48-60; doi: 10.22203/ecm.v025a04

Capacity for sliding between tendon fascicles decreases with ageing in injury prone equine tendons: a possible mechanism for age-related tendinopathy?

Abstract: Age-related tendinopathy is common in both humans and horses; the initiation and progression of which is similar between species. The majority of tendon injuries occur to high-strain energy storing tendons, such as the human Achilles tendon and equine superficial digital flexor (SDFT). By contrast, the low-strain positional human anterior tibialis tendon and equine common digital extensor (CDET) are rarely injured. It has previously been established that greater extension occurs at the fascicular interface in the SDFT than in the CDET; this may facilitate the large strains experienced during locomotion in the SDFT without damage occurring to the fascicles. This study investigated the alterations in whole tendon, fascicle and interfascicular mechanical properties in the SDFT and CDET with increasing age. It was hypothesised that the amount of sliding at the fascicular interface in the SDFT would decrease with increasing horse age, whereas the properties of the interface in the CDET would remain unchanged with ageing. Data support the hypothesis; there were no alterations in the mechanical properties of the whole SDFT or its constituent fascicles with increasing age. However, there was significantly less sliding at the fascicular interface at physiological loads in samples from aged tendons. There was no relationship between fascicle sliding and age in the CDET. The increase in stiffness of the interfascicular matrix in aged SDFT may result in the fascicles being loaded at an earlier point in the stress strain curve, increasing the risk of damage. This may predispose aged tendons to tendinopathy.
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Publication Date: 2013-01-08 PubMed ID: 23300032DOI: 10.22203/ecm.v025a04Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research study explores the connection between aging and the reduced tendency for sliding between tendon fascicles (bundles of muscle fibers), particularly in high-strain injury-prone equine tendons, proposing that this could contribute to age-related tendinopathy, a common tendon disorder.

Research Objective and Hypothesis

  • The main goal of this research was to investigate how certain mechanical features in equine tendons (Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon – SDFT and Common Digital Extensor Tendon – CDET) alter with age. Specifically, the study observes the shifting tendencies of fascicles, a bundle of muscle fibers, within these tendon types.
  • The research hypothesis suggested that the amount of sliding at the fascicle interface within high-strain SDFT would decrease as the horse ages. In contrast, the characteristics of the interface in the low-strain CDET would remain the same with aging.

Study Design and Findings

  • The study aimed to verify their hypothesis by examining alterations in the mechanical properties of the whole SDFT tendon, its constituent fibers, and the interface between them. The same was done for the CDET.
  • The data collected supported the hypothesis; there were no significant alterations observed in the mechanical properties of the whole SDFT or its constituent fiber bundles with increasing age.
  • However, a significant decrease in sliding at the fascicle interface at physiological loads was observed in samples from aged tendons, while no relationship between fascicle sliding and age was noted in the CDET.

Conclusions and Implications

  • The researchers concluded that the increase in stiffness of the interfascicular matrix in aged SDFT might result in the fibers being loaded at an earlier point in the stress-strain curve, thereby increasing the risk of damage. They proposed that this increased stiffness and reduced resilience might predispose aged tendons to tendinopathy, a common tendon disorder.
  • These findings offer new insights about the relationship between aging and the risk of tendon damage, contributing to the field of study on muscle and tendon health, for both humans and animals.

Cite This Article

APA
Thorpe CT, Udeze CP, Birch HL, Clegg PD, Screen HR. (2013). Capacity for sliding between tendon fascicles decreases with ageing in injury prone equine tendons: a possible mechanism for age-related tendinopathy? Eur Cell Mater, 25, 48-60. https://doi.org/10.22203/ecm.v025a04

Publication

European cells & materials
ISSN: 1473-2262
NlmUniqueID: 100973416
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 25
Pages: 48-60

Researcher Affiliations

Thorpe, C T
  • School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK. C.Thorpe@qmul.ac.uk
Udeze, C P
    Birch, H L
      Clegg, P D
        Screen, H Rc

          MeSH Terms

          • Age Factors
          • Aging
          • Animals
          • Elastic Modulus
          • Extracellular Matrix / pathology
          • Horse Diseases / pathology
          • Horse Diseases / physiopathology
          • Horses
          • Tendinopathy / pathology
          • Tendinopathy / physiopathology
          • Tendinopathy / veterinary
          • Tendons / pathology
          • Tendons / physiopathology

          Grant Funding

          • MR/K006312/1 / Medical Research Council

          Citations

          This article has been cited 55 times.
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