The long tendons of the limb extend from muscles that reside in the zeugopod (arm/leg) to their skeletal insertions in the autopod (paw). How these connections are established along the length of the limb remains unknown. Here, we show that mouse limb tendons are formed in modular units that combine to form a functional contiguous structure; in muscle-less limbs, tendons develop in the autopod ...

The scleraxis (Scx) gene, encoding a bHLH transcription factor, is expressed in the progenitors and cells of all tendon tissues. To determine Scx function, we produced a mutant null allele. Scx-/- mice were viable, but showed severe tendon defects, which manifested in a drastically limited use of all paws and back muscles and a complete inability to move the tail. Interestingly, although the di...

Scleraxis is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that plays a central role in promoting fibroblast proliferation and matrix synthesis during the embryonic development of tendons. Mice with a targeted inactivation of scleraxis (Scx(-/-)) fail to properly form limb tendons, but the role that scleraxis has in regulating the growth and adaptation of tendons of adult organisms is unknown. ...

BACKGROUND Jumper's knee is a common and troublesome condition among senior volleyball players, but its prevalence among elite junior players compared to matched non-sports active controls is not known. OBJECTIVE To clinically, and by sonography, examine the patellar tendons in elite junior volleyball players (15-19 years) at the Swedish National Centre for volleyball and in matched controls....

PURPOSE To elucidate the anatomy of the trabecular meshwork (TM) and its connection to ciliary muscle (CM) tendons with two photon excitation microscopic (TPEM) imaging. METHODS The human aqueous outflow pathway was imaged in an unfixed and nonembeded state by using an inverted TPEM. Laser (Ti:Sapphire) was tuned at 850 nm for emission. Backscatter signals of second harmonic generation (SHG) ...

The incidence of the coexistence of left ventricular false tendons and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) was evaluated prospectively. Over 14 months, left ventricular false tendons were found in 71 (6.4%) of 1117 consecutive patients examined echocardiographically. Two types of false tendons were observed: longitudinal, from the ventricular septum to the posteroapical wall (n = 62), and...

Tendons play a significant role in the modulation of forces transmitted between bones and skeletal muscles and consequently protect muscle fibers from contraction-induced, or high-strain, injuries. Myostatin (GDF-8) is a negative regulator of muscle mass. Inhibition of myostatin not only increases the mass and maximum isometric force of muscles, but also increases the susceptibility of muscle f...

Tendons among connective tissue, mainly collagen, contain also elastic fibers (EF) made of fibrillin 1, fibrillin 2 and elastin that are broadly distributed in tendons and represent 1-2% of the dried mass of the tendon. Only in the last years, studies on structure and function of EF in tendons have been performed. Aim of this review is to revise data on the organization of EF in tendons, in par...

OBJECTIVES Rotator cuff tendinitis and lateral epicondylitis are common in clinical practice but the underlying pathology is poorly understood. The study examined both normal and biopsy tendon specimens histologically, to determine the mechanisms involved in tendon degeneration. METHODS Rotator cuff tendons from 83 cadavers aged 11-94 and tendon biopsy specimens from 20 patients with lateral ...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the tensile strength of repaired flexor profundus tendons in young lambs, which would be equivalent to repairs in children older than 2 years of age. METHODS A comparative in-vitro experimental study conducted at King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from October 2014 to December 2015. We utilized 30 flexor profundus tendons of young lambs with a widt...