Tendon in Biological News

Was ability to run early man's Achilles heel?

... as seems likely, early humans lacked an Achilles tendon then whilst their ability to walk would be ... when in our evolution did we develop an Achilles tendon as knowing this will help unravel the mystery of ... spring to store energy during running; when the tendon was removed from the model the top running speed ...

Rotator cuff tears: Are they all in the family?

... who have experienced rotator cuff tears are at increased risk of similar tendon tears themselves, according to a study published in the May 2009 issue of ... have several theories including: Decreased blood flow leading to tendon dysfunction and tearing Bumping (impingement) of the rotator cuff on the ...

Simple chemical procedure augments therapeutic potential of stem cells

... with human cells extracted from the bone marrow. The cultures included mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can form fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, and even nerve cells. When injected into the bloodstream of patients, MSCs can home to the site of an injury and replace ...

Wake Forest plays integral role in effort to revolutionize vehicle safety

... WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. From stiff plastic limbs and metal rods to complex virtual humans made of muscle, tendon and bone, the crash test dummies of yesteryear are evolving and researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine are among those bringing ...

Stem cell research to benefit horse owners and trainers

... inflammation to a complete rupture, which can result in permanent lameness and the end of a horse's competitive life. Once a horse has damaged a tendon or ligament, the risk of re-injury is very high. Bone damage also varies in severity, with the most serious cases resulting in the euthanisation ...

Breaking news: Study revives Olympic prospects for amputee sprinter

... in the energetics and mechanics of sprinting performance; Craig McGowan, from the University of Texas at Austin, a leading authority on muscle, tendon and joint mechanics; Alena Grabowski, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an expert in human locomotor energetics and biomechanics; and ...

Research at Argonne's Advanced Photon Source reveals structure and behavior of collagen

... a very basic understanding that we have of the molecular structure of tissue into a much more tangible form. Since the scientists kept the tendon tissue intact, they could see how the collagen molecule binds to collagenases, a class of enzymes which when working properly help to regulate the ...

New biologic treatment for tennis elbow may replace surgery for chronic sufferers

... the patient which are then re-injected into the tendon of the affected elbow provides more relief than ... which is as good a result as patients who have tendon surgery." "There is very little risk here; ... wrist motions. It is a degeneration of the tendon above the elbow that controls the movements of ...

Stem cells can repair torn tendons or ligaments

... that adult stem cells can be used to make new tendon or ligament tissue. tendon and ligament injuries present a major clinical ... United States, at least 200,000 patients undergo tendon or ligament repair each year. Moreover, the ...

To translate touch, the brain can quickly rearrange its sense of the body

... new study, the research team used a method called tendon vibration to induce a distortion of healthy volunteers' sense of their own bodies. When the biceps tendon of the right arm was vibrated, the subjects in ... two additional rods touched on the forehead. When tendon vibration made the index finger seem longer than ...

Liposuctioned fat stem cells to repair bodies

... injured sports horses to their former glory. "Our aim is to regenerate the tendon structure that does not repair spontaneously," says Galli. Once scar ... with horses is paving the way to cell therapies for sport-related tendon injuries in humans. Therapies using bone marrow stem cells, similar to fat ...

Cigarette smoking impedes tendon-to-bone healing

... risk of failure. But little is known about the effects of cigarettes on tendon and ligament healing. There also are some gaps in medical knowledge ... arrive, they make proteins such as collagen to form the junction between tendon and bone. And in the rats exposed to nicotine, we saw lower cellular ...

Molecular 'marker' on stem cells aids research, perhaps therapies

... of a type of adult stem cell, a discovery that may help researchers isolate and purify adult stem cells for use in therapies aimed at bone healing, tendon repair and cartilage regeneration, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report. The molecule, called SSEA-4, was found on the surface of ...

Microscopic scaffolding offers a 'simple' solution to treating skin injuries

... a key advance by developing a new method of making, from the same biodegradable polymers, aligned-fibre 'mats' of potential use in promoting nerve or tendon growth. This method is currently being patented. The next step in the research is to develop the skin reconstruction technology for clinical ...

Cells from amniotic fluid used to tissue-engineer a new trachea

... end up in the chest cavity, crowding the lungs and stunting their growth. Using mesenchymal stem cells from amniotic fluid, Fauza's team engineered a tendon patch for the diaphragm; a year later, the lambs' diaphragms showed good healing. The FDA is now reviewing Fauza's application to conduct a ...

Biotechnology's newest chemical tool

... the opposable thumb, so the device can perform different grasping actions. Taking inspiration from the real hand, where a muscle pulls a tendon inside a synovial sheath, CYBERHAND's finger cables run through a Teflon sheath pulled by a DC motor. So the proximal, medial and distal phalanges, ...

NJIT Presidential Award winner takes stem cell research another step

... bones that may be regenerated by stem cells. Arinzeh is now testing biomaterials that, in combination with stem cells, might also repair cartilage, tendon and neuronal tissues. Her studies could lead to medical breakthroughs that would help a host of patients. Stem cell implantation could help cancer ...