Regeneration of Rabbit Calcaneal Tendon Maturation of Collagen and Elastic Fibers Following Partial Tenotomy

Abstract

Regenerated tendon tissue replacing partial-thickness defects produced in rabbit calcaneal tendons was seen to undergo almost complete maturation between three and sixteen weeks after surgery. At this stage, most collagen fibers had large diameters as in normal tendon, and the majority of elastic fibers were mature. This findings, along with those of a previous study on completely severed and unsutured tendons, indicate that mechanical stress plays a primary role in maturation of regenerating tendon. This emphasizes the importance of close approximation of tendon ends in the management of tendon ruptures and lacerations. This is possible by surgical repair.