Research.
Every peer-reviewed study on fascia in one place — graded for strength of evidence, summarised in plain language for clinicians, researchers, and curious patients.
We grade studies from A to 1A+++ using the Fascia Research Database rubric — 1A+++ is the strongest.
- A++2009
Oxidative Stress and Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Review of Upstream and Downstream Antioxidant Therapeutic Options
Bayani Uttara, Ajay V Singh, Paolo Zamboni, R T MahajanThis review article explores the connection between oxidative stress and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The authors explain that an imbalance of free radicals, which are normal byproducts o…
Oxidative stressROSantioxidantsneurodegenerative diseasesrns - B2009
From mechanical loading to collagen synthesis, structural changes and function in human tendon
Michael Kjær, H Langberg, K Heinemeier, M L Bayer, Mette Hansen, L Holm, S Doessing, M Kongsgaard, M R Krogsgaard, S P…This review article outlines how tendons adapt to mechanical loading from exercise. The research indicates that loading increases the synthesis and turnover of collagen, the protein that gives tendons their strength. Th…
fibroblastphysical trainingMechanical loadingtendoncollagen synthesis - 1A+2009
Cannabinoids inhibit fibrogenesis in diffuse systemic sclerosis fibroblasts
E Garcia-Gonzalez, E Selvi, E Balistreri, S Lorenzini, R Maggio, M-R Natale, P-L Capecchi, P-E Lazzerini, M Bardelli, F…Systemic sclerosis is a disease characterized by excessive fibrosis, or scarring, in tissues. In this laboratory study, researchers investigated the effect of a synthetic cannabinoid on fibroblasts (connective tissue ce…
CannabinoidsSystemic sclerosisFibrogenesisFibroblasts - A2009
The Hard Life of Soft Cells
P A Janmey, J P Winer, M E Murray, Q WenThis brief review explores how cells function as both mechanical and chemical machines. Cells constantly generate and respond to physical forces within their environment, the extracellular matrix. The stiffness of this…
fasciamechanotransductionsubstrate stiffnesscell mechanics - A+2009
The polyvagal theory: New insights into adaptive reactions of the autonomic nervous system
STEPHEN W PORGESThe Polyvagal Theory describes the autonomic nervous system from an evolutionary perspective. It focuses on a key phylogenetic shift in the vagus nerve that occurred between reptiles and mammals. This change created a l…
vagus nervepolyvagalfighy and flightfreezeparasympathetic system - A++2009
Bonghan Circulatory System as an Extension of Acupuncture Meridians
Kwang-Sup SohThis article describes the Bonghan circulatory system (BHS), a network proposed in the 1960s to correspond with classical acupuncture meridians. After a long period of being overlooked, researchers have recently develop…
fasciacanceracupuncture meridianbonghan corpusclebonghan duct - A++2009
Imaging of Ultraweak Spontaneous Photon Emission from Human Body Displaying Diurnal Rhythm
Masaki Kobayashi, Daisuke Kikuchi, Hitoshi OkamuraThe human body emits an extremely faint light, about 1000 times dimmer than what our naked eyes can detect. This phenomenon, known as ultraweak photon emission, is thought to be linked to the body's energy metabolism. U…
fasciabiophotonsultraweak photonsdiurnal rhythm - A2009
Relevance of Collagen Piezoelectricity to “Wolff’s Law”: a Critical Review
Andrew C Ahn, Alan J GrodzinskyThis narrative review explores how bone adapts to mechanical stress, a principle known as Wolff's Law. For decades, scientists have investigated how bone cells sense this stress to trigger remodeling. An early theory pr…
fasciacollagenpiezoelectricwolff's law - A2009
Ultrasound evidence of altered lumbar connective tissue structure in human subjects with chronic low back pain
Helene M Langevin, Debbie Stevens-Tuttle, James R Fox, Gary J Badger, Nicole A Bouffard, Martin H Krag, Junru Wu, Sharo…Researchers investigated whether structural differences exist in the low back's connective tissues between people with and without chronic low back pain. Using ultrasound, they measured the thickness and echogenicity (h…
fasciaConnective tissuelow back painlumbar - A2009
Effect of Loading on the Organization of the Collagen Fibril Network in Juvenile Equine Articular Cartilage
Pieter A J Brama, Jaakko Holopainen, P René van Weeren, Elwyn C Firth, Heikki J Helminen, Mika M HyttinenIn this animal study, researchers investigated how exercise-induced loading affects the collagen network in the articular cartilage of juvenile horses. They compared two sites within a joint: one subjected to high-inten…
cartilage; collagen fibril; loading; parallelism; orientation - A2009
Fascia: A missing link in our understanding of the pathology of fibromyalgia
Ginevra L LiptanThis 2009 paper proposes that inflammation in the fascia, the body's connective tissue, could be a key source of the persistent pain signals that lead to central sensitization in fibromyalgia. While muscle tissue itself…
inflammationfasciaConnective tissueMyofascial releaseManual Therapy - A2009
The treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain following the principles of the Fascial Distortion Modell (FDM)
Rainer EngelThis small study investigated the effect of two Fascial Distortion Model (FDM) treatments on 22 people with chronic low back pain. Researchers measured pain, function, flexibility (finger-floor distance), and use of pai…
Manual Therapyfasciaefascial distortion modelreductionismtypaldos - A2009
Communicating About Fascia: History, Pitfalls, and Recommendations
Helene M Langevin, Peter A HuijingIn this commentary, the authors discuss how the word "fascia" can be ambiguous and lead to misunderstandings, as it can refer to anything from loose to dense connective tissue. This lack of precision can hinder communic…
fasciaConnective tissueSubcutaneous tissueterminologyaponeurosis - C2009
Effect of surgical traumas on microcirculation
Visweswar Bhattacharya, Biswajit Mishra, Binayak Mishra, Umesh Kumar, Siddhartha BhattacharyaThis study observed the live effects of common surgical instruments on the tiny blood vessels within fascia. Researchers used tissue flaps from patients' lower legs and examined them under a microscope. They found that…
Microcirculationsurgical traumacautery traumaclamp traumaforceps trauma - A2009
The Architecture of the Connective Tissue in the Musculoskeletal System—An Often Overlooked Functional Parameter as to Proprioception in the Locomotor Apparatus
Jaap van der WalThis article proposes that the traditional anatomical view, which separates muscles from "passive" connective tissues like ligaments, is incomplete. The author argues that muscle and connective tissue function together…
fasciaConnective tissueproprioceptionskeletal muscledissection - A2009
Mechanotherapy: how physical therapists’ prescription of exercise promotes tissue repair
K M Khan, A ScottThis review article explains the concept of "mechanotherapy," which is the use of prescribed exercise to promote tissue repair. The underlying biological process is called mechanotransduction, where the body's cells sen…
fasciamechanotherapyechanotransduction - B2008
Myofascial Force Transmission via Extramuscular Pathways Occurs between Antagonistic Muscles
Peter A Huijing, Guus C BaanIn this experimental study, researchers investigated whether opposing (antagonistic) muscles act independently or influence each other through their fascial connections. By lengthening a lower leg muscle (extensor digit…
Connective tissueProximo-distal force differenceAnterior crural compartmentAnterior tibial muscleExtensor digitorum longus muscle - A2008
Mechanotransduction – a field pulling together?
Christopher S ChenIn this 2008 review article, the author discusses mechanotransduction, the process by which cells convert mechanical forces into biochemical signals. Cells are constantly subjected to forces, both from external pressure…
fasciastiffnessmechanobiologycell adhesionmechanical force - A2008
Vitamin C Deficiency in a University Teaching Hospital
Runye Gan, Shaun Eintracht, L John HofferThis study investigated vitamin C levels in patients at a Canadian teaching hospital. Researchers found that 60% of patients had low levels and 19% were deficient, a much higher rate than in a healthy reference group. F…
supplementationAscorbic acidVitamins.scurvy - A2008
Anti-angiogenic effect of high doses of ascorbic acid
Nina A Mikirova, Thomas E Ichim, Neil H RiordanThis laboratory study investigated how high doses of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) affect the formation of new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. Researchers exposed several types of human endothelial cells, incl…
AngiogenesisVitamin CAscorbic acid - B2008
Endothelial Cilia Are Fluid Shear Sensors That Regulate Calcium Signaling and Nitric Oxide Production Through Polycystin-1
Surya M Nauli, Yoshifumi Kawanabe, John J Kaminski, William J Pearce, Donald E Ingber, Jing ZhouThis cell culture study investigated how the cells lining blood vessels sense the force of blood flow. Researchers found that tiny, hair-like structures called cilia act as mechanical sensors. These cilia rely on a prot…
physiologyendotheliumblood flowblood pressureendothelium-derived factors - A2008
Diagnosis and management of adhesive capsulitis
Robert C Manske, Daniel ProhaskaThis 2008 review discusses adhesive capsulitis, also known as frozen shoulder, a disabling musculoskeletal condition. The authors cover the diagnosis and management of the condition, which can cause significant morbidit…
SurgeryAdhesive capsulitisShoulder pain - A2008
Tensegrity and Mechanotransduction
D E IngberThis article summarizes a lecture on how mechanical forces influence biological processes at the cellular level. The author describes mechanotransduction, the process by which cells convert physical forces into biochemi…
fasciaTensegritycytoskeletonmechanotransductionIntegrins - A2008
Fibronectin Unfolding Revisited: Modeling Cell Traction- Mediated Unfolding of the Tenth Type-III Repeat
Elaine P S Gee, Donald E Ingber, Collin M StultzCells build the extracellular matrix by pulling on the protein fibronectin, causing it to assemble into fibrils. This study used computer simulations to investigate how this process works at a molecular level. Researche…
fasciaFibronectincell tractionintegrinfibrillogenesis - A2008
Tensegrity-Based Mechanosensing from Macro to Micro
Donald E IngberThis review article, based on a lecture, explores how cells convert mechanical signals into biochemical responses. The author proposes that the body uses "tensegrity" (tensional integrity) principles, where interconnect…
fasciaextracellular matrixTensegritycytoskeletonmechanotransduction - A2008
Can cancer be reversed by engineering the tumor microenvironment?
Donald E IngberIn this perspective article, the author proposes a different way of looking at cancer. Instead of focusing solely on genetic mutations, he argues that the physical environment around a tumor, particularly the extracellu…
fasciaextracellular matrixmechanicalcytoskeletonstroma - A2008
Collagen fibrillogenesis: fibronectin, integrins, and minor collagens as organizers and nucleators
Karl E Kadler, Adele Hill, Elizabeth G Canty-LairdThis 2008 review article explores how collagen fibrils, the main structural components of connective tissue, are formed. While collagen can self-assemble in a test tube, the process in living tissues is carefully manage…
fasciaIntegrinsFibronectincollagen fibrillogenesis - B2008
Hyaluronan (HA) Deposition Precedes and Promotes Leukocyte Recruitment in Intestinal Inflammation
Kessler S, Rho H, West G, Fiocchi C, Drazba J, de la Motte CHyaluronan (HA) accumulation is common in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but whether it is a cause or an effect has been unclear. In this study using a mouse model and human tissue, researchers found that HA builds u…
inflammationcolitisinflammatory bowel diseaseintestineendothelium - B2008
Low Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid Increases the Self-Defense of Skin Epithelium by Induction of !-Defensin 2 via TLR2 and TLR4
Silvia Gariboldi, Marco Palazzo, Laura Zanobbio, Silvia Selleri, Michele Sommariva, Lucia Sfondrini, Stefano Cavicchini…Hyaluronic acid (HA), a key component of the extracellular matrix, breaks down into smaller fragments (LMW-HA) during injury or inflammation. This study investigated how these fragments affect skin cells. The researcher…
HA - 1A+2008
Charge transfer in the living matrix
James L OschmanThis theoretical paper describes the "living matrix" as the body's continuous network of connective tissue. The author proposes that this matrix functions as a body-wide reservoir of electrical charge, which may be cruc…
chronic inflammationimmune systemwound repairwhite blood cellsmacrophages - A2008
Three-Dimensional Mathematical Model for Deformation of Human Fasciae in Manual Therapy
Hans Chaudhry, Robert Schleip, Zhiming Ji, Bruce Bukiet, Miriam Maney, Thomas FindleyResearchers developed a mathematical model to calculate the force required to deform human fascia during manual therapy. The model showed that very large forces, beyond the normal physiological range of a therapist, are…
fasciaManual Therapyplantar fasciachiropractic manipulationsoft tissue motion - A++2008
Stability, continence and breathing: The role of fascia following pregnancy and delivery
D G Lee, L J Lee, L McLaughlinMany women experience pelvic girdle pain, incontinence, or breathing issues after pregnancy and delivery. This paper explores the role of the trunk's muscles and fascia in stability, continence, and respiration. The aut…
Linea alba; Diastasis rectus abdominis; Pelvic floor; Paravaginal defects; Breathing; Hypocapnia; fascia - 1A+2008
Tissue Stretch Decreases Soluble TGF-β1 and Type-1 Procollagen in Mouse Subcutaneous Connective Tissue: Evidence From Ex Vivo and In Vivo Models
N A Bouffard, K R Cutroneo, G J Badger, S L White, T R Buttolph, H P Ehrlich, D Stevens-Tuttle, H M LangevinThis study on mice investigated how brief, static stretching affects connective tissue healing after an injury. Researchers used two models: tissue samples cultured outside the body (ex vivo) and live mice with minor su…
fasciaConnective tissueStretchingManual TherapyMovement Therapy - A2008
Simple geometry in complex organisms
Graham ScarrThis theoretical paper explores how simple geometric principles can explain the formation of complex biological structures. The author revisits ancient ideas about fundamental shapes, connecting them to modern concepts…
TensegrityCrystallographyhelixicosahedronnatural law - B2008
The inflammatory response to cell death
K L Rock, H KonoThis 2008 review article explores how the body responds when cells die from injury rather than infection. Such cell death triggers an inflammatory response that is essential for host defense and tissue repair. However,…
inflammationNecrosisdangertoll-like receptorscytokines - A+++2008
Correlation Between Fluctuations in Human Ultra-weak Photon Emission and EEG Alpha Rhythm
Roeland Van Wijk, Saskia Bosman, John Ackerman, Eduard P A Van WijkThis study investigated the relationship between ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) from the skin and brain activity measured via EEG. Researchers recorded light emission from the hand while simultaneously monitoring brai…
biophotonsUltra-weak photon emissionHumanAlpha suppressionEEG - A++2008
Humoral phototransduction: Light transportation in the blood, and possible biological effects
F Grass, S KasperIn this theoretical paper, researchers propose a model called 'humoral phototransduction' to explain how light might affect the body beyond the eyes. They observed that blood plasma, and particularly the protein albumin…
fasciabiophotonsultraweak photonshumoral phototransduction - A2008
Fibroblast mechanics in three-dimensional collagen matrices
Frederick GrinellThis summary describes the relationship between fibroblasts and collagen, the primary cells and protein of fascia, respectively. Fascia provides mechanical support for the body's tissues, and fibroblasts are responsible…
Fascia; Tension; Contraction; Migration; Growth factor; Regulation - A2008
Differential effects of hyaluronan and its fragments on fibroblasts: Relation to wound healing
Maha David-Raoudi, Frederic Tranchepain, Brigitte Deschrevel, Jean-Claude Vincent, Patrick Bogdanowicz, Karim Boumedien…This lab study investigated how hyaluronan (HA) of different molecular sizes affects human fibroblast cells, which are key to wound healing. Researchers exposed fibroblasts to native HA and two smaller fragments. All th…
hyaluronanfasciawound healingextracellular matrixfibrosis - 1A+2008
Expression of the endocannabinoid system in fibroblasts and myofascial tissues
J M McPartlandThis narrative review investigates the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, a network in the body similar to the endorphin system that helps regulate pain and inflammation. Using a bioinformatics approach to analyze existing d…
Cannabinoids; Endocannabinoids; Ajulemic acid; Osteopathic medicine; Chiropractic; Myofascial release; Fibromyalgia; Myofascial trigger points; Biodynamics - A2008
Dorsal horn neurons having input from low back structures in rats
T Taguchi, U Hoheisel, S MenseIn this animal study, researchers in rats investigated how spinal cord nerve cells (dorsal horn neurons) process signals from the low back. They found that these neurons often receive input from several different tissue…
fascialow back painmultifidus muscledorsal horn neuronsnerve growth factor (NGF) - A2008
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Adhesive Capsulitis: Correlation with Clinical Staging
Carolyn M Sofka, Gina A Ciavarra, Jo A Hannafin, Frank A Cordasco, Hollis G PotterThis study investigated whether standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to diagnose and stage adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder). Researchers retrospectively reviewed MRI scans from 46 patients with an…
Adhesive capsulitisShoulderMagnetic resonance imaging - A2007
Intra-articular injection of a nutritive mixture solution protects articular cartilage from osteoarthritic progression induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection in mature rabbits: a randomized controlled trial
Yoo-Sin Park, Si-Woong Lim, Il-Hoon Lee, Tae-Jin Lee, Jong-Sung Kim, Jin Soo HanIn this animal study, researchers investigated if injecting a simple nutrient solution could protect knee cartilage in rabbits with induced osteoarthritis. The solution, containing glucose, amino acids, and vitamin C, w…
nutritionosteoarthritisVitamin Cascorbateintra articular - A+++2007
Vitamin D Deficiency
Michael F HolickThis 2007 publication by Michael F. Holick addresses the topic of vitamin D deficiency. As the full text has not yet been analyzed, this summary is based on the title alone. Further details about the specific findings a…
vitamin D25-hydroxyvitamin D3 - A2007
Formation and Function of the Myofibroblast during Tissue Repair
Boris HinzMyofibroblasts are specialized cells that play a key role in wound healing and tissue repair. Formed from fibroblasts, their primary function is to contract, which helps pull the edges of a wound together. While this is…
fasciaextracellular matrixfibrosisMyofibroblastwound healing TGF-beta - C2007
Cell–Matrix Adhesion
Allison L Berrier, Kenneth M YamadaThe connection between cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) is fundamental to how tissues are built and function. This matrix, composed of collagen and other proteins, not only provides structural supp…
Integrinscell adhesion - A2007
The Myofibroblast One Function, Multiple Origins
Boris Hinz, Sem H Phan, Victor J Thannickal, Andrea Galli, Marie-Luce Bochaton-Piallat, Giulio GabbianiThis 2007 review article discusses the myofibroblast, a cell type crucial for wound healing but also implicated in fibrosis, or pathological scarring. The authors highlight that while myofibroblasts perform similar func…
fibrosisMyofibroblast - A2007
Connective Tissue Fibroblast Response to Acupuncture: Dose- Dependent Effect of Bidirectional Needle Rotation
Helene M Langevin, Nicole A Bouffard, David L Churchill, Gary J BadgerThis study on mouse tissue explored how connective tissue cells respond to back-and-forth rotation of an acupuncture needle. Researchers observed that fibroblasts, a type of connective tissue cell, changed shape by spre…
fasciaacupunctureFibroblastsneedle rotation - A+2007
Breathing exercises with vagal biofeedback may benefit patients with functional dyspepsia
INA E HJELLAND, SVEN SVEBAK, ARNOLD BERSTAD, GEIR FLATAB, TRYGVE HAUSKENFunctional dyspepsia (FD) is often associated with low vagus nerve tone. This study investigated whether breathing exercises with biofeedback could help. Forty patients with FD were divided into two groups; one group pr…
Biofeedbackbreathing exercisesfunctional dyspepsiavagal tone - A+++2007
A driving force for change: interstitial flow as a morphoregulator
Joseph M Rutkowski, Melody A SwartzThis narrative review explores how the slow movement of fluid through the extracellular matrix, known as interstitial flow, acts as a crucial regulator of cell behavior and tissue structure. Driven by pressure gradients…
Morphologyinterstitial flow - A2007
Myofascial force transmission between antagonistic rat lower limb muscles: Effects of single muscle or muscle group lengthening
Hanneke J M Meijer, Josina M Rijkelijkhuizen, Peter A HuijingIn this study on rats, researchers investigated how lengthening muscles on the front of the lower leg affects their neighbors. They observed that stretching one muscle group significantly changed the forces within an ad…
fasciaConnective tissueAntagonistic musclesExtensor digitorum longus muscleMyofascial force transmission - A2007
Extracellular matrix, mechanotransduction and structural hierarchies in heart tissue engineering
Kevin K Parker, Donald E IngberThis narrative review explores the challenges of engineering artificial heart tissue. The heart functions across vast scales of time and space, from tiny ion channels to the whole organ's pumping action. The authors sug…
fasciaextracellular matrixcytoskeletonmechanotransductionmyocardial cell - 1A+2007
Hyaluronan in Tissue Injury and Repair
Dianhua Jiang, Jiurong Liang, Paul W NobleThis 2007 review article explores the complex role of hyaluronan (HA), a component of the extracellular matrix, in tissue injury and repair. The authors describe how HA's function depends on its size: while the large, n…
hyaluronaninflammationtissue repair - A++2007
Interstitial Flow and Its Effects in Soft Tissues
Melody A Swartz, Mark E FleuryThis 2007 review article summarizes knowledge about interstitial flow, which is the movement of fluid in the spaces between cells in the body's soft tissues. The authors describe how this flow is critical for tissue dev…
mechanobiologyDrug deliverymorphogenesistransportpermeability - A+++2007
Can Electrons Act as Antioxidants? A Review and Commentary
James OschmanThis narrative review explores the hypothesis that direct physical contact with the earth, known as "earthing" or "grounding," can provide health benefits. The author suggests that modern lifestyles, with insulated foot…
earthinggroundingantioxidantsfree radicals - A2007
Anatomy of the deep fascia of the upper limb. Second part: study of innervation
Carla Stecco, O Gagey, A Belloni, A Pozzuoli, A Porzionato, V Macchi, R Aldegheri, R De Caro, V DelmasThis anatomical study examined the nerve supply within the deep fascia of the upper limb. Researchers analyzed tissue samples from 20 arms, focusing on five specific areas including the brachial fascia and the flexor re…
fasciainnervationproprioceptionmotor coordinationruffini corpuscles - B2007
Epimuscular myofascial force transmission between antagonistic and synergistic muscles can explain movement limitation in spastic paresis
Peter A HuijingThis review, which includes new animal data, examines how muscles transmit force through their surrounding connective tissue sheaths (fascia). The research indicates that force can be transmitted between all muscles wit…
MyofascialcontractureMyotendinousForce transmissionProximo-distal force difference - A++2007
Expression of collagen and related growth factors in rat tendon and skeletal muscle in response to specific contraction types
K M Heinemeier, J L Olesen, F Haddad, H Langberg, M Kjaer, K M Baldwin, P SchjerlingIn this animal study, researchers investigated how different types of muscle contractions (concentric, eccentric, and isometric) affect the gene expression of collagen and related growth factors in rats. The results sho…
collagen synthesiseccentricconcentriccontraction typeisometric - A2007
Mechanical Stimulation Increases Collagen Type I and Collagen Type III Gene Expression of Stem Cell–Collagen Sponge Constructs for Patellar Tendon Repair
Natalia Juncosa-Melvin, Karl S Matlin, Robert W Holdcraft, Victor S Nirmalanandhan, David L ButlerThis laboratory study investigated how mechanical stimulation affects tissue-engineered constructs intended for tendon repair. Researchers used rabbit stem cells grown in collagen sponges. One group of these constructs…
mechanical loadCollagen type Icollagen type IIIpatellar tendon - A2007
Asymmetric Sphincter Innervation is Associated With Fecal Incontinence After Anal Sphincter Trauma During Childbirth
Beate M Wietek, Heidemarie Hinninghofen, Ekkehard C Jehle, Paul Enck, Heiko B FranzResearchers investigated if uneven nerve signals (asymmetry) to the anal sphincter muscles are linked to fecal incontinence after childbirth. They compared three groups: pregnant women who had not given birth, women aft…
anal incontinence; asymmetry; birth trauma; innervation; perineal laceration; vaginal delivery