title: Improved Achilles tendon healing by early mechanical loading in a rabbit model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the structure and the attachment strength of a healing tendon-bone interface and the role of mechanical loading in tendon healing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty rabbits underwent unilateral detachment and repair of the Achilles tendon. Thirty animals were immobilized (Group A), and the others wereallowed loadingimmediately postoperatively (Group B). Animals were sacrificed at 4 weeks and evaluated for histological and biomechanical testing. Statistical analysis was performed with an independent t test with significance set at P = 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ultimate stress was greater in group B (4.598 ± 1.321 N/mm(2)) compared with the control group (3.388 ± 0.994 N/mm(2)) (P < 0.05). Similarly, a more organized tendon-to-bone interface with a larger area of chondrocytes was found in group B (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mechanical loading improves the structure and the attachment strength of the healing tendon-to-bone interface.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Chongqing 400016, China.
authors.forename: Jihong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University Chongqing 400016, China.
authors.forename: Dianming
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand and Microsurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Hohhot 010030, China.
authors.forename: Shuzheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand and Microsurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Hohhot 010030, China.
authors.forename: Shangfei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand and Microsurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Hohhot 010030, China.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand and Microsurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Hohhot 010030, China.
authors.forename: Zengtao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand and Microsurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University Hohhot 010030, China.
authors.forename: Chaoqian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Han
keywords: Achilles tendon healing; mechanical loading; rabbit model