Skeletal muscle response to tenotomy
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Updated: Oct 16, 2026

Collection of Skeletal Muscle Biopsies from the Superior Compartment of Human Musculus Tibialis Anterior for Mechanical Evaluation
Published on: September 27, 2020
A A Jamali1, P Afshar, R A Abrams
1Department of Orthopedics, University of California, San Diego 92093-9151, USA.
Abstract:
Tenotomy is a commonly encountered clinical entity, whether traumatic or iatrogenic. This article reviews the response of skeletal muscle to tenotomy. The changes are subdivided into molecular, architectural, and functional categories. Architectural disruption of the muscle includes myofiber disorganization, central core necrosis, Z-line streaming, fibrosis of fibers and Golgi tendon organs, changes in sarcomere number, and alterations in the number of membrane particles. Molecular changes include transient changes in myosin heavy chain composition and expression of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). Functionally, tenotomized muscle produces decreased maximum tetanic and twitch tension. Alterations in normal skeletal muscle structure and function are clinically applicable to the understanding of pathological states that follow tendon rupture and iatrogenic tenotomy.
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