Skeletal muscle response to tenotomy

Tenotomy is a commonly encountered clinical entity, whether traumatic or ia trogenic, This article reviews the response of skeletal muscle to tenotomy, The changes are subdivided into molecular, architectural, and functional c ategories. Architectural disruption of the muscle includes myofiber disorga nization, central core necrosis, Z-line streaming, fibrosis of fibers and G olgi tendon organs, changes in sarcomere number, and alterations in the num ber of membrane particles, Molecular changes include transient changes in m yosin heavy chain composition and expression of neural cell adhesion molecu le (NCAM). Functionally, tenotomized muscle produces decreased maximum teta nic and twitch tension. Alterations in normal skeletal muscle structure and function are clinically applicable to the understanding of pathological st ates that follow tendon rupture and iatrogenic tenotomy, (C) 2000 John Wile y & Sons, Inc.