Measurement of in vivo tendon function

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Chronic tendon pathologies like rotator cuff tears and Achilles tendon ruptures cause significant pain, disability, and healthcare costs.
• Current treatment selection lacks a strong scientific basis, with outcome assessments relying on indirect measures of pain and function.
• Conventional imaging (MRI, ultrasound) provides qualitative, not quantitative, assessments of tendon mechanical capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing methods for directly assessing in vivo tendon function, including mechanical properties and capabilities during activity.
• To describe the principles, applications, advantages, limitations, and clinical utility of these in vivo assessment techniques.

Main Methods:

• Review of experimental techniques for in vivo tendon function assessment.
• Description of general principles and previous applications of these techniques.
• Characterization of the pros, cons, and clinical potential of each method.

Main Results:

• Conventional assessment methods provide only indirect insights into tendon mechanical function.
• A gap exists in directly quantifying tendon mechanical capabilities in vivo.
• Various experimental techniques show potential for direct in vivo assessment, each with unique strengths and weaknesses.

Conclusions:

• Direct quantitative assessment of in vivo tendon mechanical properties is needed to improve patient care for tendon pathologies.
• Development of broadly translatable technologies for in vivo tendon function assessment is a critical future direction.
• Accurate in vivo mechanical characterization will enable systematic development and evaluation of novel tendon treatments.