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

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-of-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 in 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.