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Tendon Structure and Composition

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Metabolic Influences on Risk for Tendon Disorders

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 920))

Abstract

Tendons are soft, fibrous tissues that connect muscle to bone. Their main function is to transfer muscle generated force to the bony skeleton, facilitating movement around a joint, and as such they are relatively passive, inelastic structures, able to resist high forces. Tendons are predominantly composed of collagen, which is arranged in a hierarchical manner parallel to the long axis of the tendon, resulting in high tensile strength. Tendon also contains a range of non-collagenous proteins, present in low amounts, which nevertheless have important functional roles. In this chapter, we describe general tendon composition and structure, and discuss how variations in composition and structure at different levels of the tendon hierarchy confer specific mechanical properties, which are related to tendon function.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK

    Chavaunne T. Thorpe & Hazel R. C. Screen

Authors
  1. Chavaunne T. Thorpe
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  2. Hazel R. C. Screen
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Correspondence to Chavaunne T. Thorpe .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Paul W. Ackermann

  2. McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    David A. Hart

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Thorpe, C.T., Screen, H.R.C. (2016). Tendon Structure and Composition. In: Ackermann, P., Hart, D. (eds) Metabolic Influences on Risk for Tendon Disorders. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 920. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33943-6_1

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