title: Human Achilles tendon: morphological and morphometric variations as a function of age.
abstract: Aging of human Achilles tendon results in changes in both cellular and fibrous components. Cells flatten and become less numerous. Their thin and long cytoplasmatic projections tend to shorten and diminish in number. Tendon fibers lose their typical undulating appearance and become quite straight. Collagen fibril diameter, small and uniform in the neonatal period, becomes large and extremely variable from adolescence onwards. Age related morphometric changes include a decrease in the average, maximum diameter and density of collagen fibrils and an increase of fibril concentration. In our opinion these morphological and morphometric variations are strictly related to functional requirements.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Anatomy, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strocchi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Pasquale
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guizzardi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Govoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Facchini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raspanti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girolami
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giannini
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen