Causes of Achilles tendon inflammation in animals

Uzroci upala Ahilove tetive u životinja mogu biti traumatske i atraumatske prirode. Patološke promjene u smislu upale mogu se dogoditi na čitavoj tetivi, bilo na prijelazu prema mišiću, na samoj ovojnici bilo na hvatištu Ahilove tetive za petnu kost. Etiologija upalnog procesa u samoj tetivi raznovrsna je, najčešće je traumatske, odnosno mikrotraumatske, metaboličke i, rjeđe, infektivne prirode. Djelovanjem različitih čimbenika, poput citokina interleukina-1, prostaglandina, dušikova oksida i metaloproteinaza, nastaje degradacija stanične i vlaknaste strukture tetiva. Degradacija je okarakterizirana kao slabljenje biomehaničkih svojstava tetive te smanjenje elastičnosti uz povećanu plastičnost i krutost te promjene u gustoći i debljini kolagenih vlakana koja postaju tanja. Nastaju promjene u sastavu i omjeru kolagena te izgledu vlakana karakteristične za tendinopatije. Poznavanje etiologije i čimbenika nastanka upale Ahilove tetive u životinja važno je za pravodobno prepoznavanje znakova upale, sprečavanje nastanka kroničnog oblika upala i njihovo liječenje. Za uspješno i brzo liječenje upale tetive liječenje treba započeti u što ranijoj fazi. Ako upalno stanje traje, nastaju oštećenja, a upala prelazi u subakutni ili kronični oblik. U slučaju da upala prelazi na hvatište tetive, nastaje upalno stanje ‒ entezitis. Tkivo takve tetive je degenerativno promijenjeno i slabije opskrbljeno krvlju. Uz nakupljanje stranih tvari, poput kalcijevih soli, stvaraju se kalcifikati. Tetiva gubi svoju karakterističnu histološku građu i biomehanička svojstva, a svaki pokret postaje izvor bola. U ovom je radu sažeto prikazana problematika tendinopatija Ahilove tetive u životinja.Causes of Achilles tendon injury in animals can be traumatic or atraumatic. Pathological changes in relation to inflammation may occur throughout the entire tendon, either at the transition towards the muscle, on the tendon sheath itself, or on the Achilles tendon insertion into the back of the heel bone. The etiology of the inflammatory process in the tendon itself is diverse, most commonly it’s traumatic, that is, microtraumatic, metabolic and less common infective. By the action of numerous factors such as cytokine interleukin-1, prostaglandin, nitric oxide and metalloproteinase, the cellular and fibrous structure of the tendon is degraded. Degradation is characterized as the weakening of biomechanical tendon properties and reduced elasticity while plasticity and stiffness are being increased. Changes in thickness and density of collagen fibres occurs and fibres are becoming thinner. Composition changes, collagen ratio and appearance of the fibres are characteristic of tendinopathies. Knowing the etiology and the cause of the Achilles tendon inflammation in animals is important for timely recognition of signs of inflammation, prevention of chronic inflammation and successful treatment. For successful and quick treatment of tendon inflammation it is crucial to start treatment in the early stage. If the inflammatory condition lasts it causes damage and inflammation passes into a subacute or chronic form. In case when inflammation transits on the Achilles tendon insertion it forms inflammatory state, called enthesitis . The tissue of such tendon has been degenerately changed, less supplied with blood, with the accumulation of foreign substances such as calcium salts and calcifications. Tendon loses its characteristic histological structure and biomechanical properties, and each movement becomes a source of pain. This paper summarizes the problems of Achilles tendon tendinopathy in animals