Migration of tendinous insertions. II. Experimental modifications

The relationship between the migration of tendinous insertions, periosteal growth and muscular traction was studied in young rabbits. Normal growth was modified in two ways: (i) the growth of the proximal and distal epiphyseal plates of the tibia was arrested by staples. as a consequence, the neighbouring periosteum, no longer stretched, stopped growing in length; insertions were thus no longer dragged by the periosteum and ceased to migrate. (ii) The nature of the insertion of the anterior annular ligament of the tibia was changed by sectioning the tendon of the tibialis anterior muscle near its insertion and reflecting it proximally in a loop around the ligament. In this case the ligament migrated normally in spite of the muscular traction in a direction opposite to the direction of migration. It is concluded that the direct cause of the migration of muscular and ligamentous insertions is periosteal growth.