Connective Tissue Biomechanics Flashcards

1
Q

Connective Tissue Introduction

A
  • building block of bone, ligament, tendon, cartilage, joint capsules, IVD, nerves, etc
  • tissues affected by: lifespan, injury, pathology, physical activity, hydration, sex
  • understanding biologic and mechanical nature of these tissues provides insights necessary for prevention and management of injuries to these structures-better balance stress and recovery in these tissues
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2
Q

Characteristics of Connective Tissue

A
  • framework upon which other tissues build functional units
  • much different than epithelial tissues where cells are tightly adherent to one another
  • has much different function than organs
  • consist of dispersed cells that typically lack intercellular contact
  • most are vascularized but less well than muscles or nerve tissues; cartilage is not vascularized
  • EC spaces in CTs are more abundant and contain blood vessels
  • CT represents 15-20% of total body weight and contains 20-25% of body’s total water content
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3
Q

Functions of Connective Tissues

A
  • connect epithelium to rest of body (basal lamina)
  • connect and protect (tendon and ligament)
  • provide structure and protect (bone)
  • store energy (fat)
  • transport materials (blood)
  • repair following injury (scar tissue)
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4
Q

How Connective Tissue is Organized

A
  • EC space is ECM: secondary accumulation of specialized cells
  • these products include protein fibers and ground substances
  • cellular: permanent components include fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, macrophages, mast cells, adipose cells; transient components include lymphocytes, plasma cells, basophils, neutrophils, eosinophils, and monocytes
  • ECM: comprises functional characteristic of different fibers of connective tissue-fibers=collagen fibers, elastin fibers, reticular fibers; ground substances=mainly water, glycoaminoglycans (GAGs) and proteoglycans (PGs)
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5
Q

Collagen

A
  • most abundant CT
  • greatest tensile strength (also withstands compression, torsion, etc)
  • 20+ types
  • type I and III most abundant
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6
Q

Type I Collagen

A
  • most common type
  • accounts for ~90% of all collagen in body
  • great tensile strength
  • major type of collagen found in skin, tendon, bone, synovium and is also found in ligaments and muscle
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7
Q

Elastin

A
  • much greater elasticity than collagen
  • allows tissues to stretch functionally: increases ability to withstand stress and undergo strain
  • interwoven with collagen: prevents injury by increasing elasticity of tissues
  • produced by fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells
  • comprised of 2 parts: central elastin core and fibrillin microfibrils
  • central elastin core: protein which forms fibrils which then intertwine to produce elastin fiber
  • fibrillin microfibrils: surround central core, function to organize elastin fibrils into elastin fibers
  • elastin fibers coil randomly in resting state, elongate in response to applied tensile force, recoil once load is released
  • major CT in ligaments but found in many tissues throughout the body
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8
Q

Reticular Fibers

A
  • found primarily in loose CT
  • typically located at boundary of CT and epithelium
  • also found surrounding muscles, blood vessels, and nerves
  • similar to collagen fibers: contain collagen fibrils but made up primarily of type III collagen; contain more sugar groups
  • have the least tensile strength of collagen and elastin
  • produced by fibroblasts
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9
Q

Ground Substance

A
  • occupies space between CT cells and fibers
  • viscous, clear, gel-like substance
  • GAG and PG are major components
  • has high water content and little morphologic structure
  • permits diffusion of oxygen, nutrients, cellular waste products; between the blood vessels and the cellular components of the CT
  • gel-like consistency inhibits movement of large molecules and bacteria
  • helps maintain interfiber distance within CT: critical for healthy CT
  • hyaluronic acid is most abundant of the 7 GAGs found in our CTs
  • GAGs have strong negative charge which attracts water –> bind to form gel-like consistency
  • water is bound to GAG –> GAG bound to PG
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10
Q

Classifying Connective Tissue

A
  • broadly classified into 3 groups: supportive connective tissue, connective tissue proper, and fluid connective tissue
  • supportive: offers strength to structures; high levels in bone, cartilage, etc
  • proper: serves to connect and protect and is divided into loose (much in muscle sheaths, epithelial tissue, fascia) and dense regular (tendons and ligaments) or dense irregular (joint capsules, periosteum, aponeuroses)
  • fluid: transportation medium
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11
Q

Wolff’s Law

A
  • mechanical stress is the basis for bone architecture
  • remodeling occurs in response to regular mechanical stress or lack thereof
  • bone deposited in areas of high stress and resorbed in areas from sites of little stress
  • considerable research over 100+ years supports this observation
  • notion regarding mechanical stress applies also to other CT in MS system: tendon, ligament, cartilage
  • health of all CT influenced by complex interaction of hormonal, metabolic, and biomechanical factors
  • use it or lose it
  • key to successful rehab is balancing positive mechanical stress to each patient’s ability to recover metabolically
  • forces PTs to continually eval and re-eval patients with the following questions
  • are we prescribing adequate mechanical stress to maximize rebuilding/modeling of a damaged tissue?
  • is the pt recovering from each dose of the mechanical stress?
  • have we applied mechanical stress appropriate for the phase of tissue regeneration (acute, subacute/proliferation, chronic tissue regeneration/remodeling)?
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12
Q

Connective Tissue and the Musculoskeletal System

A
  • bone is specialized connective tissue
  • unique secondary to mineralization of ECM
  • type I collagen is primary structural component of bone
  • type V also very present
  • I and V make up 90% of organic structure in bone matrix
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13
Q

Bones as Structures and Organs

A
  • structures: provide rigid framework to withstand mechanical loads; serve as levers for locomotor function; protect internal organs
  • organs: contain hematopoietic tissue; storage for Ca, P, Mg, Na; help maintain mineral homeostasis, help maintain blood
  • both factors influenced by: age, site and shape of bone, dietary habits,presence of disease, sex
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14
Q

Biochemistry of Bone

A
  • organic substances: 30%
  • inorganic substance: 60%
  • water: 10%
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15
Q

Organic Substances of Bone

A
  • bone cells: osteoprogenitor, osteocytes, osteoblasts, osteoclasts; collagen fibers and non-collagenous proteins-95% of organic matrix
  • matrix includes small quantities of reticular fibers and amorphous substances like hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate
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16
Q

Inorganic Substances in Bone

A
  • calcium
  • phosphorous
  • magnesium
  • sodium
  • hydroxyl
  • carbonate
  • fluoride
17
Q

Enzymes

A
  • many enzyme systems in bone
  • necessary for metabolism within bone
  • i.e. bone alkaline phosphatase plays role in production of organic matrix before calcification (produced by osteoblasts)
18
Q

Anatomical Structure

A
  • also called osseous tissue
  • strong and resilient
  • flexible collagen fibers
  • hardened via calcium and salt deposits
19
Q

Regions of Skeletal System

A
  • axial: cranium and vertebral column including hyoid, sternum, ribs, sacrum, and coccyx
  • appendicular: UE and LE including scapula, clavicle, and illium
20
Q

Bony Structural Classification

A
  • long or tubular: humerus, femur
  • short or cuboid: carpals, tarsals
  • flat: cranium, scapula
  • irregular: vertebrae, sphenoid, ethmoid
  • each bone consists of cortical bone and porous cancellous or trabecular bone
21
Q

Types of Bone

A
  • compact: dense/cortical; forms outer shell of all bones
  • cancellous: spongy/trabecular; surrounded by compact bone; found throughout inside of bone; composed of network of trabeculae; larger spaces in this network store primarily water, fat, and marrow
22
Q

General Structure of Long Bones

A
  • diaphysis
  • metaphysis
  • epiphysis
  • epiphyseal plate
  • periosteum
  • medullary cavity
23
Q

Periosteum

A
  • thin fibrous layer covering outer surface of diaphysis
  • metaphysis, and epiphysis
  • rich blood and nerve supply
  • not present in areas covered by articular cartilage
24
Q

Medullary Cavity

A
  • runs throughout diaphysis
  • ends at epiphyseal plates
  • lined with compact bone
  • filled with bone marrow
25
Marrow
- red marrow consists of RBCs in various stages of development - reticular cells and fibers also present, providing supporting network - present in proximal and distal diaphysis of long bones as well as in marrow cavity - amount of red marrow decreases as one matures
26
Micro Structure of Bone
- mature bone made up of haversian systems: aka osteons-number of circular districts run entire length of diaphysis in long bones parallel to bones long axis - each haversian system has central hole surrounded by rings - haversian canal is center of ring - lamellae are the concentric rings - lacunae are small cavities in gaps between each lamelle that house osteocytes - canaliculi are additional canals through lamellae which cross lamellae at right angles and join lamellae within the same haversian system - volkman's canals are large canals that pass through the bone aka perforating canals typically at 90% to haversian canals; pathway for blood and nerve supply which enters bone and can be differentiated from canaliculi as they pass through numerous haversian systems
27
Osteoprogenitor Cells
- located in deeper layer of periosteum - also line cavities of endosteum, Volkman's canals, and haversian canals - in immature bone divide and differentiate into osteoblasts - in mature bone called resting cells; lay dormant until stimulated to differentiate into osteoblasts - similar to stem cells
28
Osteoblasts
- bone forming cells essential for osteogenesis - create and secrete matrix necessary for ossification which then lays foundation for calcification - respond to mechanical stimulation-->bone growth and remodeling
29
Osteocytes
- morphs from osteoblast after local formation of bone matrix, collagen, and ground substance - a mature bone cell located in lacunae - functions to maintain bone matrix
30
Osteoclasts
- large multinucleated - capable of resorbing or removing bone - remove organic matrix and calcium simultaneously - responsible for deossification of bone
31
Blood Supply to Long Bones
- three distinct system exist - afferent: nutrient and metaphyseal arteries supply inner 2/3 of cortex; periosteal arteries supply outer 1/3 - efferent vascular system: transports venous blood - intermediate vascular system: capillary beds within cortex
32
Biomechanical Properties of Bones
- cortical bone stiffer than cancellous: 1.5-2% strain to failure for cortical and 50% for cancellous; cancellous has greater capacity for energy storage (elastic) - tensile and compressive strength proportional to cross-sectional area - stress fractures arise from secondary repeated minor trauma-related to tissue fatigue
33
Remodeling of Bone
- accomplished by simultaneous osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity - must maintain bone balance: typically positive bone balance for children and often negative for elderly - bone deposition in areas of stress and reabsorption from sites with little stress - disuse results in bone loss known as osteopenia - bone atrophy may occur with bed rest, prolonged inactivity, space travel, sedentary lifestyle - genetically determined baseline mass for normal function: certain level of physical activity bone health - decreased physical activity=bone loss - weight bearing PA=bone growth - too much intense PA problematic and optimal levels exist for each individual
34
Activity, Aging, and Bone Remodeling
- muscles help to dampen high tensile and compressive forces: eccentric mm action very important - immobility leads to ~1% bone mass decrease per week - for typical adult 35+ stress/strain tolerance, fracture toughness, and bending strength each decrease 2-3% every 10 years
35
Bone Remodeling and Exercise
- minimal essential strain: threshold stimulus for formation of new bone - must be weight bearing to stimulate increases in bone density - resistance exercise: variable results in studies when looking at bone mineral density; none focus on rate and magnitude of loading - aerobic: high intensity repetitive activities like rowing, stair climbing, running have been moderately successful in demonstrating bone mineral density increases
36
Women and Bone Remodeling
- osteoporosis major societal health concern - linked to menopause, age, and activity - dietary habits as young adults play role - female athletic triad: disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis - female athlete can have one, two, or all three parts of triad
37
Designing Interventions to Stimulate Bone Growth
- specificity of loading: perform exercise that stress part of skeleton where increases in bone density are desired; axial loading - exercise selection: force vectors through spine and hip, multiple muscles, multi-joint, use greater absolute loads - progressive overload: gradually increase training loads - cross training: vary selection of exercises to vary distribution of forces