title: Correspondence of high-frequency ultrasound and histomorphometry of healing rabbit Achilles tendon tissue.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Static and dynamic high-frequency ultrasound of healing rabbit Achilles tendons were set in relationship to histomorphometric analyses at three and six weeks post-surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve New Zealand White rabbits received a clean-cut Achilles tendon laceration (the medial and lateral Musculus gastrocnemius) and were repaired with a four-strand Becker suture. Six rabbits got additionally a tight polyester urethane tube at the repair site in order to vary the adhesion extent. Tendons were analysed by static and dynamic ultrasound (control: healthy contralateral legs). The ultrasound outcome was corresponded to the tendon shape, tenocyte and tenoblast density, tenocyte and tenoblast nuclei width, collagen fibre orientation and adhesion extent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The spindle-like morphology of healing tendons (ultrasound) was confirmed by the swollen epitenon (histology). Prediction of adhesion formation by dynamic ultrasound assessment was confirmed by histology (contact region to surrounding tissue). Hyperechogenic areas corresponded to acellular zones with aligned fibres and hypoechogenic zones to not yet oriented fibres and to cell-rich areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings add new in-depth structural knowledge to the established non-invasive analytical tool, ultrasound.
authors.affiliation: Department for Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland .
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buschmann
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Puippe
authors.forename: Gabriella Meier
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Bürgisser
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonavoglia
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giovanoli
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calcagni
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D011817:Rabbits; D012038:Regeneration; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen