In conclusion, this study characterized the mechanical, compositional and
structural properties of mature tendon at a defined age and specific tendon with changes
in the amount of decorin. Through this mouse model, both inherent effects of decorin in
vivo as well as changes in collagen structure were explored. This study demonstrated that
changes in collagen content and structure cannot completely account for changes in
tendon viscoelastic properties and a complex relationship with decorin exists. Also,
reductions in decorin do not cause large changes in compressive properties suggesting
that other factors contribute to these properties.
Lastly, the model presented here was specifically developed to obtain quantitative
measures whenever possible. Quantitative measures of mechanical, structural and
compositional properties can then be input into a rigorous statistical model to objectively
determine which structural and compositional parameters have a significant effect on the
compressive properties as a result of changes in composition and structure. This approach
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