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The Mechanical, Structural, and Compositional Changes of Tendon Exposed to Elastase.

Tyler M Grant^1,2, Clarence Yapp³, Qi Chen⁴

¹Department of Engineering Science, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. tylermgrant@gmail.com.

Annals of Biomedical Engineering

|March 27, 2015

Summary

Standard elastase treatment alters tendon mechanical properties and structure. This challenges the use of elastase to understand the role of elastic fibers in tendon biomechanics.

Keywords:

Elastase Elastic fibers Elastin Structure–function Tendon Tissue mechanics

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Area of Science:

Biomechanical Engineering
Extracellular Matrix Biology
Tendon Research

Background:

Tendon mechanical response relies on extracellular matrix molecules.
The specific role of elastic fibers in tendon structure and function remains unclear.
Elastase treatment is a common method to investigate elastic fiber function in tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of elastase treatment on tendon mechanical properties.
To analyze structural and compositional changes in tendon following elastase exposure.
To evaluate the suitability of elastase treatment for studying elastic fiber roles in tendons.

Main Methods:

Standard elastase treatment applied to tendon specimens.
Assessment of mechanical properties, including ultimate tensile strength and failure strain.
Analysis of structural changes (e.g., crimp undulation) and compositional changes (e.g., glycosaminoglycan release).

Main Results:

Elastase treatment significantly affected tendon ultimate tensile strength and failure strain.
Treated tendons showed marked structural alterations, such as crimp undulation.
Significant release of glycosaminoglycans was observed post-elastase treatment.

Conclusions:

Standard elastase treatment has a complex digestion profile impacting tendon structure and function.
This complexity makes it challenging to isolate the specific mechanical role of elastic fibers using elastase.
Further research is needed to fully understand the function of elastic fibers in tendon biomechanics.