Fine structural alterations in chronic Achilles paratenonitis in athletes

The fine structural alterations in chronic Achilles paratenonitis were studied in tissue samples obtained from 14 athletes, who were operated on for this complaint and from 3 patients without any history of this disease. In the chronically inflamed paratendineal tissue mainly two types of cells were identified: classic fibroblasts with a smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum and only a few mitochondria and lysosomes and myofibroblast-like cells with cytoplasmic microfilaments 5-6 nm in diameter, a rough endoplasmic reticulum, some mitochondrias and free ribosomes. These cells represented 19% of 471 studied non-inflammatory cells. In the extracellular space there was an increased amount of fibrils regarded as either type I or type III collagen as sign of tissue repair. Especially around the myofibroblastic cells a fine granular ground substance was found. The amount of ground substance was as a rule increased in pericellular space. Due to the capacity of contraction in healing tissue the myofibroblasts apparently have a role in the clinical symptoms of chronic Achilles paratenonitis.