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Adaptive Remodeling of Achilles Tendon: A Multi-scale Computational Model
While it is known that musculotendon units adapt to their load environments, there is only a limited understanding of tendon adaptation in vivo. Here we develop a computational model of tendon remodeling based on the premise that mechanical damage and tenocyte-mediated tendon damage and repair proce...
Autores principales: | , , , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Public Library of Science
2016
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5042511/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27684554 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005106 |
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author | Young, Stuart R. Gardiner, Bruce Mehdizadeh, Arash Rubenson, Jonas Umberger, Brian Smith, David W. |
author_facet | Young, Stuart R. Gardiner, Bruce Mehdizadeh, Arash Rubenson, Jonas Umberger, Brian Smith, David W. |
author_sort | Young, Stuart R. |
collection | PubMed |
description | While it is known that musculotendon units adapt to their load environments, there is only a limited understanding of tendon adaptation in vivo. Here we develop a computational model of tendon remodeling based on the premise that mechanical damage and tenocyte-mediated tendon damage and repair processes modify the distribution of its collagen fiber lengths. We explain how these processes enable the tendon to geometrically adapt to its load conditions. Based on known biological processes, mechanical and strain-dependent proteolytic fiber damage are incorporated into our tendon model. Using a stochastic model of fiber repair, it is assumed that mechanically damaged fibers are repaired longer, whereas proteolytically damaged fibers are repaired shorter, relative to their pre-damage length. To study adaptation of tendon properties to applied load, our model musculotendon unit is a simplified three-component Hill-type model of the human Achilles-soleus unit. Our model results demonstrate that the geometric equilibrium state of the Achilles tendon can coincide with minimization of the total metabolic cost of muscle activation. The proposed tendon model independently predicts rates of collagen fiber turnover that are in general agreement with in vivo experimental measurements. While the computational model here only represents a first step in a new approach to understanding the complex process of tendon remodeling in vivo, given these findings, it appears likely that the proposed framework may itself provide a useful theoretical foundation for developing valuable qualitative and quantitative insights into tendon physiology and pathology. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-5042511 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2016 |
publisher | Public Library of Science |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-50425112016-10-27 Adaptive Remodeling of Achilles Tendon: A Multi-scale Computational Model Young, Stuart R. Gardiner, Bruce Mehdizadeh, Arash Rubenson, Jonas Umberger, Brian Smith, David W. PLoS Comput Biol Research Article While it is known that musculotendon units adapt to their load environments, there is only a limited understanding of tendon adaptation in vivo. Here we develop a computational model of tendon remodeling based on the premise that mechanical damage and tenocyte-mediated tendon damage and repair processes modify the distribution of its collagen fiber lengths. We explain how these processes enable the tendon to geometrically adapt to its load conditions. Based on known biological processes, mechanical and strain-dependent proteolytic fiber damage are incorporated into our tendon model. Using a stochastic model of fiber repair, it is assumed that mechanically damaged fibers are repaired longer, whereas proteolytically damaged fibers are repaired shorter, relative to their pre-damage length. To study adaptation of tendon properties to applied load, our model musculotendon unit is a simplified three-component Hill-type model of the human Achilles-soleus unit. Our model results demonstrate that the geometric equilibrium state of the Achilles tendon can coincide with minimization of the total metabolic cost of muscle activation. The proposed tendon model independently predicts rates of collagen fiber turnover that are in general agreement with in vivo experimental measurements. While the computational model here only represents a first step in a new approach to understanding the complex process of tendon remodeling in vivo, given these findings, it appears likely that the proposed framework may itself provide a useful theoretical foundation for developing valuable qualitative and quantitative insights into tendon physiology and pathology. Public Library of Science 2016-09-29 /pmc/articles/PMC5042511/ /pubmed/27684554 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005106 Text en © 2016 Young et al http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. |
spellingShingle | Research Article Young, Stuart R. Gardiner, Bruce Mehdizadeh, Arash Rubenson, Jonas Umberger, Brian Smith, David W. Adaptive Remodeling of Achilles Tendon: A Multi-scale Computational Model |
title | Adaptive Remodeling of Achilles Tendon: A Multi-scale Computational Model |
title_full | Adaptive Remodeling of Achilles Tendon: A Multi-scale Computational Model |
title_fullStr | Adaptive Remodeling of Achilles Tendon: A Multi-scale Computational Model |
title_full_unstemmed | Adaptive Remodeling of Achilles Tendon: A Multi-scale Computational Model |
title_short | Adaptive Remodeling of Achilles Tendon: A Multi-scale Computational Model |
title_sort | adaptive remodeling of achilles tendon: a multi-scale computational model |
topic | Research Article |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5042511/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27684554 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005106 |
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