GTS GTS Soft Tissue Pathology & Fibrosis 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary tissue change that Graston Technique targets during treatment?
- Muscle hypertrophy
- Fascial fibrosis and cross-linked collagen (Correct answer)
- Synovial fluid depletion
- Periosteal thickening
Correct answer: Fascial fibrosis and cross-linked collagen
Graston Technique targets fascial fibrosis and abnormally cross-linked collagen that forms as a result of soft tissue injury and incomplete healing.
Question 2: During which phase of tissue healing does fibrosis most commonly become problematic?
- Inflammatory phase
- Proliferative phase
- Remodeling phase (Correct answer)
- Hemostatic phase
Correct answer: Remodeling phase
Fibrosis becomes problematic during the remodeling phase when collagen matures but may be laid down in a disorganized, cross-linked pattern rather than aligned with tissue stress lines.
Question 3: Which type of collagen is predominantly found in healthy tendon tissue?
- Type II collagen
- Type III collagen
- Type I collagen (Correct answer)
- Type IV collagen
Correct answer: Type I collagen
Type I collagen is the predominant collagen in healthy tendons, providing high tensile strength and organized parallel fiber alignment.
Question 4: What cellular component is primarily responsible for synthesizing new collagen during soft tissue repair?
- Mast cells
- Fibroblasts (Correct answer)
- Macrophages
- Neutrophils
Correct answer: Fibroblasts
Fibroblasts are the primary cells responsible for synthesizing collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins during soft tissue repair.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes chronic tendinopathy at the cellular level?
- Acute inflammatory infiltrate with edema
- Angiogenesis, disorganized collagen, and increased Type III collagen (Correct answer)
- Peritenon calcification only
- Normal collagen with increased cellularity
Correct answer: Angiogenesis, disorganized collagen, and increased Type III collagen
Chronic tendinopathy is characterized by angiogenesis, disorganized collagen fibers, and a shift toward weaker Type III collagen rather than the normal Type I collagen.
Question 6: What is the proposed mechanism by which IASTM instruments stimulate fibroblast activity?
- Direct enzymatic breakdown of collagen
- Mechanical stimulation triggering cellular proliferation and remodeling (Correct answer)
- Thermal destruction of scar tissue
- Compression blocking nociceptors
Correct answer: Mechanical stimulation triggering cellular proliferation and remodeling
IASTM instruments are proposed to stimulate fibroblast activity through mechanical loading, which triggers cellular proliferation and initiates collagen remodeling.
GTS GTS Soft Tissue Pathology & Fibrosis 1
What is the primary tissue change that Graston Technique targets during treatment?