[Investigation on the construction and spacial structure of human tendons (author's transl)].

According to their investigations there is a surface phenomen not only on the surface of intact tendons, but after longitudinal disruption it appears on spontaneously formed inside surfaces as well. The structures responsible for its production are not identical, the outside cover of the tendon is s thick, gelatinous, amorphous sheet in which a reinforcing fibersystem can be demonstrated. This latter works on a "Mädchenfänger" concept. On the arteficially exposed inside surface of a disrupted tendon the periodically striped design of small fiber groups in different layers summarizes in an oblique or transversal drawing. The authors stereomicroscopic findings need further investigations on biopsy tendons in order to determine the morphological changes in relation to tendon tension during in vivo function.