Mechanobiology of tendons and ligaments

Tendons and ligaments are load-bearing connective tissues. As such, they are dynamic structures that respond in various manners to mechanical loading having different magnitudes, directions and frequencies. They adapt to mechanical loading by altering their tissue composition resulting in changed biomechanical properties. On the cellular level, load-induced alterations include mechanotransduction pathways such as transforming growth factor beta signaling pathways. In terms of extracellular matrix, collagen synthesis may be increased by the application of load. The mechanism by which force is exactly transmitted in the tendon tissue is suggested to go via interfibrillar shear of the discontinuous fibrils in the tendon fascicles.