A Passive Ankle Dorsiflexion Testing System for an <em>In Vivo</em> Model of Overuse-induced Tendinopathy

Pooja H. Chainani; Patrick M. Williamson; Diana Yeritsyan; Kaveh Momenzadeh; Nadim Kheir; Joseph P. DeAngelis; Arun J. Ramappa; Ara Nazarian

doi:10.3791/65803

Journal

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Bioengineering

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A Passive Ankle Dorsiflexion Testing System for an In Vivo Model of Overuse-induced Tendinopathy

A Passive Ankle Dorsiflexion Testing System for an <em>In Vivo</em> Model of Overuse-induced Tendinopathy

JoVE Journal
Bioengineering

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JoVE Journal Bioengineering

A Passive Ankle Dorsiflexion Testing System for an In Vivo Model of Overuse-induced Tendinopathy

A Passive Ankle Dorsiflexion Testing System for an In Vivo Model of Overuse-induced Tendinopathy

775 Views

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04:37 min

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March 01, 2024

DOI:

10.3791/65803-v

DOI:

10.3791/65803-v

•

04:37 min

March 01, 2024

•

8 Views

Pooja H. Chainani^1,2, Patrick M. Williamson^1,2, Diana Yeritsyan¹, Kaveh Momenzadeh¹, Nadim Kheir¹, Joseph P. DeAngelis^1,3, Arun J. Ramappa^1,3, Ara Nazarian^1,2,3,4

¹Musculoskeletal Translational Innovation Initiative, Carl J. Shapiro Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, ²Mechanical Engineering Department,Boston University, ³Carl J. Shapiro Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, ⁴Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,Yerevan State Medical University

Transcript

Our work addresses the mechano biological factors involved in the initiation and progression of overuse induced tendinopathy. The questions we are trying to answer include what factors of exercise, such as frequency, magnitude, and duration of load affect the tendon’s response to injury. Current tools such as mechanical measures, histology, and biological assays to evaluate outcome measures are centered and limited to end stage tissue harvesting.

With this model, we can explore in vivo continuous measurements with tools such as ultrasound and MRI In the field, in vivo models load the tendon and physiologically relevant manners, while ex vivo models allow for the measurement of biological responses to injuries. Our protocol combines these two measures for direct measurement of tendon stresses and strains during injuries and the associated biological changes. We’ve established an adaptive system to induce tendon injuries, which allows for simultaneous exploration of mechanical and biological factors.

Having established this model, future directions include assessing different parameters, therapeutic avenues, and rehabilitation measures.

Summary

This protocol presents a testing system used to induce quantifiable and controlled fatigue injuries in a rat Achilles tendon for an in-vivo model of overuse-induced tendinopathy. The procedure consists of securing the rat's ankle to a joint actuator that performs passive ankle dorsiflexion with a custom-written MATLAB script.