title: Age-related changes of elements and relationships among elements in human tendons and ligaments.
abstract: To elucidate compositional changes of the tendons and ligaments with aging, the authors investigated age-related changes of element contents in the insertion tendons of the biceps brachii muscle, central tendons of the diaphragma, Achilles' tendons, posterior longitudinal ligaments (PLLs) of the cervical spine, ligamenta capitum femorum, and anterior cruciate ligaments. After ordinary dissections by medical students, the three tendons and three ligaments were resected and element contents were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. It was found that the elements, such as Ca, P, S, Mg, Na, Zn, and Fe, did not change significantly in the three tendons and two ligaments with aging, except for the PLLs where Ca and Mg increased significantly with aging and Fe decreased significantly with aging. With regard to the relationships among elements, the common finding that there were significant correlations between Ca and P contents and between Ca and Mg contents was obtained in the three ligaments. Likewise, the common finding that there was a significant correlation between Ca and Mg contents was obtained in the three tendons. Regarding the relationship between Ca and P contents, the three tendons were different from the three ligaments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara 634-8521, Japan.
authors.forename: Motohisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tohno
authors.forename: Setsuko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tohno
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moriwake
authors.forename: Cho
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Utsumi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takakura
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008022:Ligaments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013710:Tendons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D010758:Phosphorus; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium