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Fig. 2 | BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Fig. 2

From: Anatomy and histomorphology of the flexor digitorum profundus enthesis: functional implications for tissue engineering and surgery

Fig. 2

Tendon Fibre Angle Measurement Methodology. a) Inset: Side view of an example pre-sectioned tendon(T)-bone(B) sample [ungual tuberosity removed from the distal bone end (left side of image)], with box showing enthesis region of main panel. Main panel: The tidemark (superimposed line) is traced along the length of the FDP enthesis, from proximal (right) to distal (left). b) A line of best fit of the tidemark is produced, marking the points at 20, 40, 50, 60 and 80% along the enthesis. c) Example measurements of angle of tidemark intersection fibres (α) and angle of approaching fibres (β) at 20% along the enthesis. The location of 20% along the tidemark is found on a perpendicular line (broken line) from 20% along the line of best fit of the tidemark (dotted line). The angle of tidemark intersection (α) measures the angle of directly intersecting fibres; the angle of approach (β) measures a line parallel to the average angle of fibres approaching over a preceding 20% distance of the enthesis. Angles are measured against a line parallel to the line of best fit of the tidemark (dotted line). d) Magnified view to highlight the angle of tidemark (TM) intersection (α) at this 20% enthesis measurement point. Mid-sagittal section micrographs of an FDP enthesis, toluidine blue. CB - cortical bone; TB - trabecular bone

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