Research methodology and animal modeling in tendinopathy

Abstract

Tendon injuries arising from overuse are a difficult clinical problem. Lack of information about their etiology makes the pursuit of effective treatments almost a random process. Some components of the mechanical environment seem to contribute to the manifestation of tendinopathies.To devise proper treatments, we must first understand how loading affects tendons at the cellular and molecular levels.This chapter will review some of the current basic science methods used to understand tendon biology and mechanics, both in injury and non-injury situations. The first 2 parts will focus on studies done to understand tendinopathies in animal models (in vivo), while the third and fourth parts will describe some of the research methodologies (ex vivo and in vitro) that have been used to understand the mechanisms that control a tendon's response to mechanical loads.