The micro-structural strain response of tendon

Tendons are multi-level fibre-reinforced composites, designed to transmit muscle forces to the skeleton. During physiological loading, tendons experience tensile loads, which are transmitted through the structure to the cells, where they may initiate mechanotransduction pathways. The current study examines the structural reorganisation and resulting local strain fields within the tendon matrix under tensile load. It uses confocal microscopy to photobleached a grid onto the collagen and image its deformation under the application of incremental tensile strain. Six parameters are used to quantify fibril and fibre movement and examine the mechanisms of extension employed by fascicles.