Blood supply of the achilles tendon

Abstract

The Achilles tendon is one of the most common sites of injury and rupture as a result of overuse. Evidence suggests that the pathogenesis of rupture could involve the pattern of its blood supply. With use of angiographic and histological techniques, the blood supply of the Achilles tendon was investigated in 12 human cadaveric specimens. Angiography confirmed Mayer's 1916 finding that the blood supply to the tendon is from three areas: the musculotendinous and osseotendinous junctions and the paratenon, with the posterior tibial artery providing the major contribution. However, qualitative and quantitative histological analyses in this study showed that the Achilles tendon has a poor blood supply throughout its length, as determined by the small number of blood vessels per cross-sectional area, which do not in general vary significantly along its length. In light of these findings, it is suggested that poor vascularity may prevent adequate tissue repair following trauma, leading to further weakening of the tendon.

Achilles tendon: functional anatomy and novel emerging models of imaging classification

“…It is absent in up to 8 % of individuals [34]. The blood supply of the tendon, from the musculotendinous junction, surrounding connective tissues, and the osteotendinous junction [1], is age dependent, and decreases with age [20]. The AT presents three main vascular areas: the peroneal artery supplies the midsection, while the posterior tibial artery supplies the proximal and distal sections.…”

BMP treatment for improving tendon repair Studies on rat and rabbit Achilles tendons

“…Repetitive micro-trauma and hypovascularity of part of the tendon are suspected as predisposing factors (Ahmed et al 1998, Carr and Norris 1989, Kannus and Jozsa 1991. The closed tendon rupture caused by indirect forces like a sudden foot push-off or an unexpected dorsifl exion of the ankle is the dominant immediate etiological factor for Achilles tendon rupture, but there are other possible causes.…”

Effects of repeated eccentric contractions with different loads on blood circulation and collagen fiber orientation in the human Achilles tendon

“…Furthermore, previous studies showing good clinical results with eccentric training did not describe how the authors decided load and number of repetitions of the eccentric training. Blood supply into tendons has been suggested to contribute to the healing of tendon injuries [5][6][7][8] . Indeed, recent studies reported that blood volume and oxygen saturation of the tendons significantly increased after repeated eccentric contractions 9,10) .…”