Evaluations of tendon mechanical behavior based on biochemical and structural arrangement have implications for designing tendon specific treatment modalities or replacement strategies. In addition to the well studied type I collagen, other important constituents of tendon are the small proteoglycans (PGs). PGs have been shown to vary in concentration within differently loaded areas of tendon, implicating them in specific tendon function. This study measured the mechanical properties of multiple tendon tissues from normal mice and from mice with knock-outs of the PGs decorin or biglycan. Tail tendon fascicles, patellar tendons (PT), and flexor digitorum longus tendons (FDL), three tissues representing different in vivo loading environments, were characterized from the three groups of mice. It was hypothesized that the absence of decorin or biglycan would have individual effects on each type of tendon tissue. Surprisingly, no change in mechanical properties was observed for the tail tendon fascicles due to the PG knockouts. The loss of decorin affected the PT, causing an increase in modulus and stress relaxation, but had little effect on the FDL. Conversely, the loss of biglycan did not significantly affect the PT, but caused a reduction in both the maximum stress and modulus of the FDL. These results give mechanical support to previous biochemical data that tendons likely are uniquely tailored to their specific location and function. Variances such as those presented here need to be further characterized and taken into account when designing therapies or replacements for any one particular tendon.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
February 2005
Technical Papers
Influence of Decorin and Biglycan on Mechanical Properties of Multiple Tendons in Knockout Mice
Paul S. Robinson,
Paul S. Robinson
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, 424 Stemmler Hall, 36th and Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
Search for other works by this author on:
Tung-Fu Huang,
Tung-Fu Huang
Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for other works by this author on:
Elan Kazam,
Elan Kazam
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, 424 Stemmler Hall, 36th and Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
Search for other works by this author on:
Renato V. Iozzo,
Renato V. Iozzo
Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
Search for other works by this author on:
David E. Birk,
David E. Birk
Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
Search for other works by this author on:
Louis J. Soslowsky
Louis J. Soslowsky
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, 424 Stemmler Hall, 36th and Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
11
Search for other works by this author on:
Paul S. Robinson
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, 424 Stemmler Hall, 36th and Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
Tung-Fu Huang
Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
Elan Kazam
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, 424 Stemmler Hall, 36th and Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
Renato V. Iozzo
Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
David E. Birk
Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
Louis J. Soslowsky
11
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, 424 Stemmler Hall, 36th and Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081
Contributed by the Bioengineering Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING. Manuscript received by the Bioengineering Division March 31, 2004; revision received August 20, 2004. Associate Editor Jennifer S. Wayner.
J Biomech Eng. Feb 2005, 127(1): 181-185 (5 pages)
Published Online: March 8, 2005
Article history
Received:
March 31, 2004
Revised:
August 20, 2004
Online:
March 8, 2005
Citation
Robinson, P. S., Huang, T., Kazam, E., Iozzo , R. V., Birk, D. E., and Soslowsky, L. J. (March 8, 2005). "Influence of Decorin and Biglycan on Mechanical Properties of Multiple Tendons in Knockout Mice ." ASME. J Biomech Eng. February 2005; 127(1): 181–185. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1835363
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Related Articles
The Role of Mass Balance Equations in Growth Mechanics Illustrated in Surface and Volume Dissolutions
J Biomech Eng (January,2011)
Effects of the Frequency and Duration of Cyclic Stress on the Mechanical Properties of Cultured Collagen Fascicles From the Rabbit Patellar Tendon
J Biomech Eng (December,2005)
Effect of Fiber Orientation and Strain Rate on the Nonlinear Uniaxial Tensile Material Properties of Tendon
J Biomech Eng (October,2003)
Thermomechanical Analysis of Soft-Tissue Thermotherapy
J Biomech Eng (October,2003)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Experimental Studies
Nanoparticles and Brain Tumor Treatment
Introduction
Ultrasonic Methods for Measurement of Small Motion and Deformation of Biological Tissues for Assessment of Viscoelasticity
Synthesis and Characterization of Carboxymethyl Chitosan Based Hybrid Biopolymer Scaffold
International Conference on Mechanical and Electrical Technology, 3rd, (ICMET-China 2011), Volumes 1–3