Rs. Archer et al., CELL AND MATRIX CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH PATHOLOGICAL CALCIFICATION OFTHE HUMAN ROTATOR CUFF TENDONS, Journal of Anatomy, 182, 1993, pp. 1-12
The causative mechanism of tendon calcification ('calcifying tendiniti
s') is unknown. In this report, pathological human tendon samples were
examined to give morphological and ultrastructural detail of the calc
ified regions and these findings were compared with those from normal
tendon. Selected specimens were cryosectioned to enable histochemical
and immunohistochemical comparison of the occurrence and distribution
of specific matrix molecules in diseased and normal tendon tissues. Th
e lack of collagen type II and alkaline phosphatase in the pathologica
l regions suggests that the calcification process is not mediated thro
ugh an endochondral transition. In contrast, the pathological areas we
re characterised by widespread labelling for chondroitin-4-sulphate/de
rmatan sulphate and intense pericellular localisation of chondroitin-6
-sulphate.