The Achilles tendon of the rat was studied before, immediately after, and 1–8 days after experimental rupture of the tendon which was induced in wild brown rats. The specimens were stained with haematoxylin‐eosin, alcian blue, and toluidine blue. The tendon ruptures proved to be independent of degenerative changes. Immediately after the tendon rupture very scanty changes were found, in the form of slight fraying between the fibre bundles and a slight increase of the wavy structure. Through the first 24 hours these changes increased. At the same time, disintegration of the individual fibres occurred, with slightly reduced stainability and in places pyknotic nuclei. It is concluded that these findings represent the mildest changes that may be expected in a biopsy specimen from a previously healthy tendon which has been subjected to a purely traumatic subcutaneous rupture. On the basis of the present findings and of previously reported experimental studies, it is concluded that the changes described elsewhere following subcutaneous rupture of the human Achilles tendon have not necessarily been present prior to the rupture. Consequently, the author cannot accept the biopsy findings from human cases as a convincing link in the argumentation that previous degeneration is a necessary condition for subcutaneous rupture of human tendons.
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Troels Barfred (1971) studied this question.