A comparison of the healing properties of rabbit Achilles tendon injuries at different levels.
Rabbit Achilles tendons were transsected at the muscle-tendon junction (Group 1), midtendon (Group 2), or at the calcaneus insertion (Group 3). Treatment consisted of immobilization in a long leg cast without surgical repair. The contralateral leg served as a control. Tensile testing was performed at four weeks. Groups 1 and 2 failed most often in the proximal muscle rather than at the healing site. In contrast, Group 3 failed more often at the healing site than in the muscle and was statistically superior to Groups 1 and 2 with respect to strength and stiffness. Statistically, control specimens showed failure at the musculotendinous junction at greater loads and were stiff compared to the experimental groups.
Department of Orthopaedics, University of Southern California, School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
S H
SH
Kuschner
C A
CA
Orlando
H A
HA
McKellop
A
A
Sarmiento
D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology; D004548:Elasticity; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D011817:Rabbits; D012421:Rupture; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000502:physiology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*