Meeting Abstract
Tendons are series elastic structures that connect and transmit energy between bone and muscle. The elasticity of tendon aids the musculoskeletal system in absorbing, transferring, and dissipating energy, but the stiffness of a tendon may change over an individual’s lifetime due to remodeling of tendon due to overuse, disuse, or aging. The molecular mechanisms and degree of remodeling possible in tendons are not well understood. In this study, we first investigate the remodeling efficacy of different types of exercise on tendon gross morphology and mechanics in mice (Mus musculus) by implementing exercise regimens with varying mechanical loading: voluntary wheel running, treadmill running, and repeated jumping. After 4 weeks of training, tendons were harvested for mechanical testing. Preliminary results show that treadmill mice have the lowest stiffness but the largest cross-sectional area of the exercise regimens. Jumping mice tendons demonstrated the highest failure stress but were not the stiffest. These data will be utilized to inform future studies on best practices for loading tendons in a laboratory setting.
