A bio-tribological analysis of paratenonitis

The paratenon is a soft tissue structure that surrounds some tendons, acting to reduce friction during sliding on muscular contraction. Such sliding can, however, cause inflammation of the tissue, leading to paratenonitis. It has previously been reported that paratenonitis incidence was greater in colder temperatures, possibly due to an increase in synovial fluid viscosity and thus friction. This study examined the friction and lubrication between two surfaces approximating the in vivo conjunction, at two different temperatures. The results suggest that an increase in temperature serves to increase friction, in contrast to the previous hypothesis. These results imply that physical activities encourage paratenonitis