750 Comparison of in vivo tension in rat patellar tendons under stress-deprived condition with different methods
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To understand the mechanisms of the remodeling of tendons and ligaments, it is imperative to quantify the force environment in which these tissues are expected to expose in vivo. Because treatment of musculoskeletal injuries often includes immobilization and disuse of joints as part of the therapeutic regimen, the effects of stress deprivation on the biomechanical properties of tendons and ligaments are clinically important. Many investigators have measured in vivo force in tendon tissues during normal activity. However, few studies are performed to measure the force under stress-deprived condition. Therefore, rigorous relationships between stress reduction and remodeling remain unknown. In the present study, rat patellar tendons were unloaded by tail suspension or joint immobilization. We compared in vivo tension in the tendons under stress-deprived condition with the different methods. Whereas the peak tension under the normal condition was approximately 10.7 N, the peak tension of approximately 9.0 and 2.8 N was applied to the tendons under the condition of tail suspension and joint immobilization, respectively. These quantitative data would be essential to study the biomechanical response of tendons and ligaments to stress deprivation.
