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Updated: Dec 6, 2025
Biomechanical Testing of Murine Tendons
Published on: October 15, 2019
Phantom material testing indicates that the mechanical properties, geometrical dimensions, and tensional state of
Freddy Sichting1, Nicolai C Kram1
1Department of Human Locomotion, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany.
Objective:
There is an increasing interest in the application of oscillation-based measurement techniques to evaluate the mechanical stiffness of healthy and diseased tendons. These techniques measure the stiffness of a tendon indirectly by registering the oscillation response of a tendon to an external mechanical impulse. Although these measurement techniques seem to be comparatively easy and time-saving, their applicability is implicitly limited by their indirect measurement principle.
Approach:
In this study, we aim to find evidence that the oscillation response of a tendon to an external mechanical impulse is not only affected by the stiffness of a tendon but also by the tendons' cross-sectional area (CSA), length, and tension. Therefore, we reviewed the current literature on oscillation-based techniques that measure in vivo tendon properties. Further, a phantom material was used to mimic the nature of tendons and to test the impact of four factors on oscillation-based measurements.
Main Results:
Our results indicate that the mechanical properties, geometrical dimensions (length and CSA), and tensional state affect oscillation-based measures. Surprisingly, most studies on tendon behavior often exclusively associate their oscillation-based measurements with the mechanical stiffness of a tendon.
Significance:
While this narrow perspective bears the risk of misinterpretation or false implications, a broader understanding of oscillation-based measurements has the potential to shed new light on the interaction of muscles and tendons in vivo.
