Skeletal Muscle Fibrosis in Response to Compliant Muscle Fibers

Muscle fibrosis is a common Orthopaedic problem that results from tissue trauma, degeneration, neurotoxin injection and disuse. However, the interaction between skeletal muscle cells and the components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that results in development of fibrotic tissue is not well understood. In this study, we have exploited the fact that the skeletal muscle intermediate filament protein desmin alters muscle fiber mechanical properties [1, 2] and show that this change results in the development of whole skeletal muscle fibrosis. Since this occurs in the absence of externally induced damage, this model provides a unique system to study the biology and mechanics of altered mechanical interaction between muscle cells and the ECM.