Soft Tissue Flashcards
Skin is high in:
Elastin
Skeletal Mm Connective Tissue Sheaths must be able to:
- broaden during contraction of muscle
- elongate during lengthening of muscle
Nerve Sheaths allow:
- nerves to glide in central and peripheral NS
- if they can’t move=impairet efferent/afferent signals
Fascia
- Slightly mobile sheath of connective tissue
- supports all soft tissue and also attached to bone
- limited blood supply
- good tensile strength (many directions)
Fascia can affect:
- balance
- neurological status
Components of Fascia
-connective tissue and ground substance
Categories of Connective Tissue
- Dense Regular
- Dense Irregular
- Loose Irregular
Dense Regular
- parallel fibers, resist unidirectional stress
- not well hydrated or vascularized
Dense Irregular
- non-parallel; resist multidirectional stress
- stop extremes of motion
- areas of high mechanical stress
Loose Irregular
- most elastic
- greatest amount of ground substance per unit area
- good tensile strength to multi-directional stresses
- maintains space between structures for motion
- most potential for change through soft tissue mobs
Dense Regular Examples
-Ex. lig/tendons
Dense Irregular Examples
-Ex. dermis, joint capsules, periosteum, fascial sheaths, aponeuroses
Loose Irregular Examples
-Ex. SubQ, some deep fascia, muscle/nerve sheaths, supportive framework for lymph system and internal organs
Cells of Connective Tissue
- fibroblasts
- histiocytes
- macrophages
- mast cells
- plasma cells
- lymphocytes, eosinophils, leukocytes
Fibroblasts
-create collagen, elastin, reticulin and ground substance
Collagen’s dominant role:
- maintain structural integrity of various tissues
- provide tensile strength to tissues
Elastin’s dominant role:
-determines patterns of distention and recoil in most organs (skin, lungs, blood vessels and connective tissue)
Histiocytes
-phagocytic cells that become active during inflammatory conditions
Macrophages
-Cells that debride an area after trauma