Related Experiment Videos
Rotator cuff degeneration and lateral epicondylitis: a comparative histological study
M D Chard1, T E Cawston, G P Riley
1Rheumatology Research Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Degenerative changes in tendons, like rotator cuff tendinitis and lateral epicondylitis, increase with age. Histological analysis revealed similar age-related microscopic changes in different tendon types.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Histopathology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Rotator cuff tendinitis and lateral epicondylitis are prevalent clinical conditions.
- The precise pathological mechanisms underlying tendon degeneration remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the histological mechanisms of tendon degeneration.
- To compare pathological changes in rotator cuff tendons and lateral epicondylitis biopsy specimens.
Main Methods:
- Histological examination of 83 cadaveric rotator cuff tendons (aged 11-94 years).
- Histological examination of 20 tendon biopsy specimens from patients with lateral epicondylitis (aged 27-56 years).
Main Results:
- Microscopic changes in lateral epicondylitis biopsies mirrored those in aged rotator cuff tendons.
- Observed abnormalities included vascular changes, tenocyte loss, calcification, glycosaminoglycan infiltration, and fibrocartilaginous transformation.
- Degenerative changes increased with age, with 17% of tendons abnormal below age 39, rising to 40-50% in older individuals.
Conclusions:
- Tendon degeneration shows an increasing incidence with advancing age.
- Histological findings in lateral epicondylitis common extensor tendons are consistent with age-related changes in supraspinatus tendons.
- These degenerative changes were absent in control common extensor tendons, suggesting an age-related pathological process.