Matrix biology and disease Flashcards
What are the 6 major tissues of the synovial joint?
Tendons Ligaments Meniscus Bone Synvoium and synovial fluid Articular cartilage
What are the two weight bearing bones that meet at the knee joint?
Femur and Tibia
What is the function of tendon?
Link muscle with bone.
Transmit muscle forces with minimal elongation.
Highest tensile strength of all body soft tissues.
Which component of the knee synvoial joint has the highest tensile strength of all body soft tissues?
Tendons
Describe the collagen arrangement in tendons?
The collagens eist in a triple helix which pack into a fibre = tenidnous fibre which bundle together to form the tendon.
The collagen is spirally wound - long collagen spirals.
What are the cells that make up the bundles in a tendon?
Tenocytes - but tendonns are hypocellular.
Describe the structure of a tendon?
Tendons are made of lots of collagen which is arranged in a triple helix structure, these helices pack together to form tendinous fibres and these bundle together to form a tendon.
Tendons are hypocellular, they’re predominantly matrix.
Sometimes tendons are surrounded by thin sheaths which help lubricate the tendon movements.
What is the function of the thin sheaths surrounding a tendon?
To lubricate the tendon movements.
Describe the biochemical composition of a tendon?
95% type I collagen.
5% minor collagens,
The collagens give the tensile properties.
Small amounts of elastin confering elastic properties and the ability to recoil back to normal length, the elastin stores the energy during movement.
Proteoglycans - regulate collagen fibril size during growth and development and bind water and resist compression.
What is the function of collagen in a tendon?
Confers the tensile properties.
What is the function of elastin in a tendon?
Confers the elastic properties allowing recoil back to normal length.
The elastin stores energy during movement.
What is the function of proteoglycans in a tendon?
Regulate collagen fibril size during growth and development.
Bind water and resist compression.
What is the result of immobilisation of a tendon?
Decreased mechanical strength.
Decreased proteoglycan content.
What is the result of exercise and training on a tendon?
Increased collagen fibril size.
Increased strength and stiffness.
Where is the most common tendon injury site?
Site of insertion to the bone - this is the weakest link and is most likelly to rupture.
What is tendonitis?
A term describig any condition causing pain when a tendon is under tension.
What is the common cause of tendonitis?
Episodes of inflammation which cause high levels of cytokines around the tendons generating an inflammatory response.
Commonly associated with tendon injury is the formation of adhesions which aggrevates the tendonitis and leads to further inflammatory response.
Which tendon is affected in “tennis elbow”?
Lateral epicondyl tendon.
Which tendon is affected in “Jumper’s knee”?
Patellar tedon.
Which tendon is affected in “golfers elbow”?
Medial epicondyle.
What is the function of ligaments?
Connect bone to bone.
They have passive mechanical function in stabilising joints and body structures and guiding body movements.
Ligaments supply propioceptive information to the brain.
Describe the structure of a ligament?
Ligaments are dense, white, fibrillar, avascular structures.
Rich in nerve fibres and pain fibres.
Relatively hypocellular and the cells are fibroblastic (fibrocytes) but closer to the bone insertion site they resemble cartilage cells.
Which component of the synovial joint supplies proprioceptive information?
Ligaments - they are rich in nerve fibres, stretching activates muscle contractions preventing over-stretching.
What are the 4 major ligaments stabilising the knee joint?
Anterior cruciate ligament.
Posterior cruciate ligament.
Medial collateral ligament.
Lateral collateral ligament.
What is the difference between an ACL and MCL ligament injury?
ACL has very poor repair capacity whereas MCL repairs itself.
What effect does exercise have on ligaments?
Increases collagen content and therefore increases tensile strength.
Describe the biochemical composition of a ligament?
90% type I collagen. 10% type III collagen. 70-80% dry weight is collagen. Proteoglycans <5% dry weight. Elastin <5% dry weight. Water is 60-70% wet weight.
What is the function of the meniscus?
The menisci are C-shaped cups/discs of fibrocartilage interposed between the femoral and tibial condyles.
They perform load-bearing, shock absorption and joint stabilisation, load distribution, allows rolling movement of the joint, allows separate movement in two halves of the joint cavity, spreading of synovial fluid lubricates the joint.
The medial meniscus transmits 50% of compressive load of the knee.
Removing a small piece of the meniscus increases contact stress by 350%
Describe the biochemical composition/structure of the meniscus?
Collagens, type I (majority), II, III and IV.
Proteoglycan concentrations high.
Elastin <1% dry weight.
Collagen fibril orientation is circumferential - C-shape.
The outer region has blood supply and nerves = pain upon injury.
What % of compressive load of the knee does the medial meniscus transmit?
50%
Describe the structure of the bone in the synovial joint?
Mineral component is composed of calcium and phosphate containing hydroxyapatite crystals.
The major inorganic component is type I collagen, forms a 3D framework in which mineral crystals grow in and in which minerals are embedded.
Where is the synovial membrane found?
Surroundig the inner chamber of the synovial joint.
What is the function of the synovium?
Secretes synovial fluid, which contains hyaluronic acid and promotes joint movement and lubrication.
Synovial fluid contains nutrients supplied to cartilage because cartilage is avascular.
What is the main lubricant in synovial fluid?
Hyaluronic acid.
What are the 2 cell types of the synovium?
Type A - macrophage like - clears debris.
Type B - fibroblast-like synoviocytes - synthesise hyaluronic acid and lubric.
What are the two main components of synovial fluid?
Hyaluronic acid and lubricin.
How thick is the synovial membrane?
1-3 cells thick.
What are the general features of cartilage?
- Avascular.
- Aneural.
- Hypocellular.
- No lymphatics.
- No basement membrane.
What are the two major macromolecules present in cartilage?
Collagen.
Proteoglycans.
What is the key proteoglycan in cartilage?
Aggrecan