Structural and Ultrastructural Characteristics of Bone-Tendon Junction of the Calcaneal Tendon of Adult and Elderly Wistar Rats

Author(s)

Cury, Diego Pulzatto ^{[1, 2]} ; Jose Dias, Fernando ^{[3, 4]} ; Miglino, Maria Angelica ^[2] ; Watanabe, Ii-sei ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Anat, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Vet Med & Anim Sci, Dept Surg, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med Ribeirao Preto, Dept Surg & Anat, BR-14049 Ribeirao Preto - Brazil

^[4] Univ La Frontera, Sch Dent, CICO Res Ctr, Temuco - Chile

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PLoS One; v. 11, n. 4 APR 14 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 7

Abstract

Tendons are transition tissues that transfer the contractile forces generated by the muscles to the bones, allowing movement. The region where the tendon attaches to the bone is called bone-tendon junction or enthesis and may be classified as fibrous or fibrocartilaginous. This study aims to analyze the collagen fibers and the cells present in the bone-tendon junction using light microscopy and ultrastructural techniques as scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Forty male Wistar rats were used in the experiment, being 20 adult rats at 4 months-old and 20 elderly rats at 20 months-old. The hind limbs of the rats were removed, dissected and prepared to light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The aging process showed changes in the collagen fibrils, with a predominance of type III fibers in the elderly group, in addition to a decrease in the amount of the fibrocartilage cells, fewer and shorter cytoplasmic processes and a decreased synthetic capacity due to degradation of the organelles involved in synthesis. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/03280-1 - Structural and ultrastructural characteristics of the bone-tendon junction of the triceps surae of Wistar rat adults and elderly: Study in light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.
• Grantee: Diego Pulzatto Cury
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master