title: Histological study of fresh versus frozen semitendinous muscle tendon allografts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to histologically analyze allografts from cadaveric semitendinous muscle after cryopreservation at -80 degrees C in comparison to a control group kept at only -4 degrees C to test the hypothesis that the histological characteristics of the tissue are maintained when the tendons are kept at lower temperatures.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a tissue bank, 10 semitendinous tendons from 10 cadavers were frozen at -80 degress C as a storage method for tissue preservation. They were kept frozen for 40 days, and then a histological study was carried out. Another 10 tendon samples were analyzed while still "fresh".
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no histological difference between the fresh and frozen samples in relation to seven variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Semitendinous muscle tendon allografts can be submitted to cryopreservation at -80 degrees C without suffering histological modifications.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo - São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre Carneiro
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bitar
authors.forename: Luiz Augusto Ubirajara
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Alberto Tesconi
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Croci
authors.forename: João Alberto Ramos Maradei
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Edgard N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: França Bisneto
authors.forename: Arlete Mazzini Miranda
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Giovani
authors.forename: Claudia Regina G C M
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology*; D013710:Tendons / Q000166:cytology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous