Faculty Collaboration Database

Stretch reduces central core lesions and calcium build-up in tenotomized soleus. Muscle Nerve 2008 Dec;38(6):1563-71

Date

11/20/2008

Pubmed ID

19016544

DOI

10.1002/mus.21130

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-56749182202 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   11 Citations

Abstract

The incidence of skeletal muscle tendon rupture is increasing. The unloaded, shortened muscle undergoes rapid degeneration. Rehabilitation takes 10-12 weeks and includes stretch therapy. Outcomes may be improved by understanding the pathophysiological changes and stretch mechanisms. We investigated the effects of passive stretch on preventing central core lesions in a rat tenotomy model of simulated Achilles tendon rupture. Adult male rats were tenotomized bilaterally. At 7 days, 39% of the soleus fibers possessed central core lesions. Whole muscle calcium concentration progressively increased and plateaued by 4 days. Dantrolene, a calcium release blocker, injected daily for 7 days, reduced central core lesion formation and calcium build-up. Passive stretch, 20 min/day, inhibited central core lesion formation. Calcium increased at 4 days in mitochondria, and stretch prevented this increase. These findings indicate that stretch therapy reduces central core lesion occurrence by preventing calcium elevation in hypershortened muscles.

Author List

Baewer DV, van Dyke JM, Bain JL, Riley DA

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Achilles Tendon
Animals
Anthraquinones
Calcium
Coloring Agents
Dantrolene
Male
Microscopy, Electron
Mitochondria, Muscle
Muscle Fibers, Skeletal
Muscle Relaxants, Central
Muscle Stretching Exercises
Muscle, Skeletal
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley