The Achilles tendon is a powerful
body part connecting calf muscle to heel bone, enabling springing leaps and
hurdles that make sports stars seem superhuman. But exactly how it connects to
the bone hasn’t been fully understood — until now. Researchers from multiple
disciplines took a microscopic look and found an extremely thin tissue layer
that enables the tendon’s great expansive strength.
A team of biochemists and
biophysicists from the Technical University of Munich headed by physician Dr.
Rainer Burgkart applied a sequence of investigatory methods to get a close
look. First, a series of multiscale microscopic photos of the boundary layer
between tendon and bone were combined into a single large image, which revealed
the former’s tissue splitting into dozens of tiny fibers. Fluorescent
antibodies lit up some specific proteins in the layer, meaning its biochemical
makeup is distinct from the tendon’s. Finally, applying weight to the tendon
showed different fibers acting to stabilize it depending on the direction it
was moved.
Sure, there have been innovative
stabs at replacing tendons with nanotech, but the the fancy new synthetic parts
will still have to be securely fastened to your remaining organic ones.
Understanding precisely how this tendon connects to bone has several
applications for future medicine, like attaching existing tendons to orthopedic
implants. It’s also promising for materials research, which could lead to new
methods for connecting soft and hard synthetic parts.
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