Background:
The
injury repair process in
tendons and
ligaments includes different phases such as
inflammation, neovascularization,
fibroblast proliferation and
fibrosis.
Collagen type and
tissue characteristics of
tendon and
ligament repair are described such as type
collagen differentiation and properties of the
scars tissue. The degeneration of
articular cartilage when, characterized by loss of the articular layers associated of the decreased of
proteoglycans. The aim of this study is to describe by histochemistry
techniques the characteristics of
tissue scar,
collagen type in the repair process of
tendons and
ligaments, as well as
articular cartilage degeneration.Materials,
Methods &
Results:
Tissue samples of equine
tendons,
ligaments and
articular cartilage of the
metacarpophalangeal joint region were evaluated by
ultrasonography, macroscopically and prepared for routine histopathology (H&E
staining). The inclusion criterion of the samples in this study was based on the presence of lesions characterized in H&E
stain as fibroplasia, neovascularization, collagenolysis, chondroid
metaplasia in
tendons and
ligaments and fibrillation and cartilaginous eburnation lesions in the
articular cartilage samples. The Massons trichrome, Picrosirius red and
Alcian blue staining techniques were also performed in addition to H&E. Pathologic findings in the
tendons and
ligaments included fibroplasia, collagenolysis, chondroid
metaplasia and lymphohistioplasmacytic
inflammation.
Tendons and
ligaments scars were composed of
type III collagen but there was also some
type I collagen. Fiber alignment of
tendons and
ligaments in the reorganization
tissue was not flawless and the fiber appearance was characterized by a lack of the fiber crimp and parallelism. The fibroplasia was characterized by endotendinous tickening areas associated with the presence of loose
connective tissue.[...]