Biotensegrity or Fascintegrity?

Abstract

The biotensegrity view of the living is a theoretical model and there is no mathematical study in vitro or in vivo that demonstrates its validity, taking into account the presence of liquids (blood, lymph, water), the tension produced by nerves and blood vessels, just as the displacement of the viscera and their resistances and contractions are not taken into consideration. The concept of cellular transduction is reviewed as it is the key to understanding if the passage of different mechanical information occurs only through solid structures, such as the cytoskeleton, or even liquid and viscous. The article focuses on reviewing the weaknesses of the biotensegrity model in the light of new scientific information, trying to coin another term that better reflects the dynamics of living: fascintegrity.

Keywords: fascia; myofascial; osteopathic; physiotherapy; shear stress; skeletal muscle.

Figure 1. Transmission of the tension felt by the cell starting from the extracellular matrix

The membrane proteins that interface with the matrix (focal adhesions proteins) transmit the mechanical tension felt towards the inside of the cell, thanks to the connection with other membrane proteins (integrins, dystrophins, dystroglycans, and others). The latter reports the tension to the cytoplasmic proteins (actomyosin, talin, paxillin, vinculin, and others), which will transmit the mechanical information to the nuclear membrane proteins (emerins and lamins), through the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton or LINC proteins.

Figure 2. Mechanistic example of interpretation of biotensegrity

It is a model that schematically represents the area of the pelvis and the lower limbs. The threads represent the structures in pre-stress such as the muscles, while the sticks represent the hard elements like bones.

Figure 3. A molecule model to represent the biotensegrity idea of a geodesic type

Figure 4. Image A: A work by the architect Kenneth Snelson and a student of Dr Fuller (Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH), whose work represents the concept of tensegrity in architecture; image B: a model of the vertebral column with the concept of biotensegrity