title: Effect of disuse on the ultrastructure of the achilles tendon in rats.
abstract: We examined the influence exerted, through disuse of the hindlimb, on the collagen fibres of the achilles tendon in rats. With disuse the body mass decreased by 28%, and the mass of soleus muscle decreased by 20%. A decrease in the surface area and diameter was observed in the experimental group when compared to the control group. A histogram of the collagen fibres showed a decrease of the thick fibres in the experimental group. The maximum surface area of collagen fibres in the experimental group was seen to be only 43% of that of the control group. These results showed a decrease in the thickness of the collagen fibres of the achilles tendon through disuse. This seemed to suggest that resistance to tension is decreased by disuse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Sciences, Otaru University of Commerce, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Totsuka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirota
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D003094:Collagen / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004435:Eating; D006614:Hindlimb; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D051381:Rats; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen