Experimental Rupture of the Achilles Tendon: Comparison of Various Types of Experimental Rupture in Rats

Davidsson 1956, Viidik 1968) have used different methods: injury to the tendon (ligation of its vessels, crushing or partial cutting of the tendon), stimulation of the muscle, training of the experimental animals, and a different speed of the attempted rupture.Apart from the injury experiments, the experiments on the bonemuscle-tendon-bone chain have rarely resulted in tendon rupture (Sallefranque 1887, Lindblom 1939).In a previous study the present author (Barfred 1971 c ) described the influence of the animal's age, sex, and conditions of living upon a standardized rupture experiment.It was concluded, among other things, that a rupture of the Achilles tendon could be induced at a distance of 0-2 mm from the calcaneus in recently captured large, wild rats by an oblique, quick traction on the intact bone-muscletendon-bone unit with simultaneous tetanic stimulation of the muscle.The tendons exhibited no histological signs of degeneration (Barfred 1971 a ) .The frequency of tendon rupture was found to be the same in 3 groups of rats-females weighing 250-300 g, females weighing more than 300 g, and males weighing more than 300 g.It was also the same Aided by grants from Miss P. A.