I have a partially torn tendon in my forearm, and probably the same thing in my left hamstring for the last 2 years. I've been trying to figure out what could have caused it and how I can turn things around. I posted about this before. It's very discouraging.
I've been reading how collagen cross-linking is important for tendon repair. For many years I've taken many supplements that may help inhibit glycation cross-linking, like carnosine, lipoic acid, rutin, pyridoxamine or P5P, high-dose thiamine, benfotiamine, and a long list of antioxidants.
Is it possible I'm also inhibiting tendon repair with these supplements? I would hope that I'm only inhibiting nonenzymatic cross-linking....
Can anyone suggest supplements or anything to encourage the kind of enzymatic cross-linking that would help repair my tendons? I can see about getting the full article below.
J' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://pmid.us/22244064']J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2012 Feb;21(2):209-17.
Potential of collagen cross-linking therapies to mediate tendon mechanical properties.
Collagen cross-links are fundamental to the mechanical integrity of tendon, with orderly and progressive enzymatic cross-linking being central to healthy development and injury repair. However, the nonenzymatic cross-links that form as we age are associated with increased tendon brittleness, diminished mechanical resistance to injury, and impaired matrix remodeling. Collagen cross-linking thus sits at the center of tendon structure and function, with important implications to age, disease, injury, and therapy. The current review touches on these aspects from the perspective of their potential relevance to the shoulder surgeon. We first introduce the most well-characterized endogenous collagen cross-linkers that enable fibrillogenesis in development and healing. We also discuss the glycation-mediated cross-links that are implicated in age- and diabetes-related tendon frailty and summarize work toward therapies against these disadvantageous cross-links. Conversely, we discuss the introduction of exogenous collagen cross-links to augment the mechanical properties of collagen-based implants or native tendon tissue. We conclude with a summary of our early results using exogenous collagen cross-linkers to prevent tendon tear enlargement and eventual failure in an in vitro model of partial tendon tear.
PMID: 22244064
→ source (external link)Potential of collagen cross-linking therapies to mediate tendon mechanical properties.
Collagen cross-links are fundamental to the mechanical integrity of tendon, with orderly and progressive enzymatic cross-linking being central to healthy development and injury repair. However, the nonenzymatic cross-links that form as we age are associated with increased tendon brittleness, diminished mechanical resistance to injury, and impaired matrix remodeling. Collagen cross-linking thus sits at the center of tendon structure and function, with important implications to age, disease, injury, and therapy. The current review touches on these aspects from the perspective of their potential relevance to the shoulder surgeon. We first introduce the most well-characterized endogenous collagen cross-linkers that enable fibrillogenesis in development and healing. We also discuss the glycation-mediated cross-links that are implicated in age- and diabetes-related tendon frailty and summarize work toward therapies against these disadvantageous cross-links. Conversely, we discuss the introduction of exogenous collagen cross-links to augment the mechanical properties of collagen-based implants or native tendon tissue. We conclude with a summary of our early results using exogenous collagen cross-linkers to prevent tendon tear enlargement and eventual failure in an in vitro model of partial tendon tear.
PMID: 22244064
