Membrane-bound intracellular collagen fibrils in fibroblasts and myofibroblasts of regenerating rabbit calcaneal tendons.

The ultrastructures of 33 rabbit calcaneal tendons were studied to determine (1) whether vacuolar fibrils are present in three regions of tendons undergoing normal healing after tenotomy and repair, and (2) to stimulate collagen synthesis via functional loading, and hence determine the effect of loading on the presence of vacuolar fibrils in healing tendons. In all the loaded tendons, electron microscopy revealed membrane-bound collagen fibril equivalents in sections of neotendon obtained from the site of tenotomy, and in sections of tendon segments proximal and distal to the site of surgery. Similar vacuolar fibrils were visualized in sections of the proximal and distal segments of the non-loaded regenerating tendons, and also in sections of neotendons formed at the site of tenotomy after 12 and 15 days of healing without functional loading. No such fibrils were visualized in the non-tenotomized normal control tendons. These findings indicate that chemical agents and disease are not necessary to induce the appearance of intracytoplasmic fibrils in vivo and that functional loading augments the presence of fibril-bearing vacuoles in regenerating tendons.