Patterson-Kane J C, Firth E C, Goodship A E, Parry D A
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand.
Aust Vet J. 1997 Jan;75(1):39-44. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1997.tb13829.x.
To measure collagen fibril crimp angles and lengths as well as collagen fibril mass-average diameters in central and peripheral regions of the superficial digital flexor tendon of wild horses, to ascertain any age-related changes in either region in the absence of imposed galloping exercise.
Measurements from a random cull of wild horses.
Superficial digital flexor tendon samples were taken from 23 wild horses ranging in age from two to ten years.
Horses were divided into 'young' (< 5 years, n = 10), 'middle-aged' (5 to < 10 years, n = 9) and 'old' groups (10+ years, n = 4) and the mean crimp angle, mean crimp length and collagen fibril mass-average diameter calculated for the central region, and for the peripheral region of each group. Differences between groups and regions were analysed using two-tailed t tests.
The crimp angle for the central region was found to decrease with age, so that in old horses it was smaller than that for the tendon periphery (P, 0.05). The crimp angle for the latter region did not alter significantly with age. Crimp period lengths and collagen fibril mass-average diameters did not show significant changes with age in either region.
Reduction of the crimp angle in the core of the superficial digital flexor tendon occurs normally with age, as tendons of older animals would have undergone a higher number of loading cycles. It is possible that athletic training increases the frequency and/or the magnitude of high loading cycles experienced by the tendon, and may accelerate and worsen the normal load-related ageing process in the superficial digital flexor tendons of young performance horses, particularly in the central regions where lesions usually occur.
测量野马指浅屈肌腱中央和周边区域的胶原纤维卷曲角度和长度以及胶原纤维质量平均直径，以确定在没有强制奔跑运动的情况下，这两个区域是否存在与年龄相关的变化。
对随机挑选的野马进行测量。
从23匹年龄在2至10岁的野马身上采集指浅屈肌腱样本。
将马分为“年轻”组（<5岁，n = 10）、“中年”组（5至<10岁，n = 9）和“老年”组（10岁以上，n = 4），计算每组中央区域和周边区域的平均卷曲角度、平均卷曲长度和胶原纤维质量平均直径。使用双尾t检验分析组间和区域间的差异。
发现中央区域的卷曲角度随年龄减小，因此老年马的卷曲角度小于肌腱周边区域（P<0.05）。后一区域的卷曲角度没有随年龄显著变化。两个区域的卷曲周期长度和胶原纤维质量平均直径均未随年龄显示出显著变化。
随着年龄增长，指浅屈肌腱核心区域的卷曲角度通常会减小，因为老年动物的肌腱经历了更多的负荷循环。运动训练可能会增加肌腱所经历的高负荷循环的频率和/或幅度，并可能加速和恶化年轻竞技马指浅屈肌腱正常的与负荷相关的老化过程，特别是在通常发生病变的中央区域。
