[Studies on regeneration and adhesion of the tendon. Part 7: Influence of the vincula on regeneration of the tendon (author's transl)].
Repair of the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) of the chicken was studied by light microscopic and microangiographic examination. The effects of altered circulation in the vincula breve were related to repair processes of tendon. Sixty young-adult chickens weighing 2 to 3 kg were used. The FDP tendons of the third toes were incised and sutured without anesthesia, then the vincula breve was cut and ligated. In the control group, no procedure was performed to the vincula breve. Samples were obtained at the fixed time intervals up to 8 weeks after the operation. For microangiography, Micropaque solution was injected into the femoral artery after perfusion of physiological saline. The amputated legs were fixed in 10% formalin, subcutaneous tissues removed, then soft X-ray examination performed using Softex-CMB. Histological specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. The results were as follows: 1) In the group with ligated vincula, delay of cellular reaction in the repair process was histologically evident in the early stages. There were little granulation and proliferation of the dorsal epitenon, which formed adhesion with surrounding tissues in the later stages. 2) In the angiographic examination, the sutured site of the tendon was not avascular, and compensatory proliferation of the periosteal and capsular vessels was found around the suture although the vincula breve had been ligated. However, there was a somewhat impaired circulatory pattern in the group with ligated vincula during the early stages. Later, normalization of the circulation was delayed compared to the control samples. 3) Damage of the vincula was thought to delay regeneration in tendon injuries. Poor circulation, if present, may also influence the healing process by inducing adhesion of the surrounding tissues.
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012038:Regeneration; D013710:Tendons / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D000267:Tissue Adhesions