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. 2008 Dec 5;41(16):3519-22.
doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2007.06.004. Epub 2007 Jul 12.

The mechanical properties of the rabbit carpal tunnel subsynovial connective tissue

Taihei Yamaguchi  1 , Naoki Osamura, Chunfeng Zhao, Mark E Zobitz, Kai-Nan An, Peter C Amadio
Affiliations

The mechanical properties of the rabbit carpal tunnel subsynovial connective tissue

Taihei Yamaguchi et al. J Biomech. .

Abstract

The rabbit model is commonly used to study carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). It has been proposed that the subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT) in the carpal tunnel may play a role in the etiology of CTS, but the material properties of the rabbit SSCT are unknown. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to measure the shear properties of the rabbit SSCT. In six rabbit cadaver forepaws, the excursion of the third digit flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and load to failure of the SSCT were measured in a custom device. The mean excursion to full flexion in this model was 7.08mm (S.D. 0.77). The mean shearing force at full flexion was 317 mN (S.D. 166). At full flexion percentage of maximum shear force in the SSCT was 54.5% (S.D. 19.4). The mean energy absorbed at full flexion was 0.29mJ (S.D. 0.31). The mean excursion needed to reach 5% of the maximum shear force was 3.04mm (S.D. 0.99). The testing model presented in this study demonstrates structural parameters to evaluate the shear properties of the SSCT in a rabbit model. The data presented could be used for estimating sample sizes in a more comprehensive study of the effect of CTS on the SSCT properties.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest regarding any of the material in the manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Experimental testing setup. The rabbit paw was clamped to a servo-motor. The third FDS tendon was connected to a fixed load cell. The motor moved the paw distally causing proximal tendon excursion of the third FDS tendon. The second and fourth digits were not allowed to flex.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Typical force-excursion curves for Control and Cut and Pullout Models. Point A is the force on the SSCT at full flexion excursion during the Control test. Point B is the maximum SSCT force. A/B*100% is the percent of maximum SSCT force at full flexion. Point C is the excursion when SSCT force is 5% of the maximum.
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