Research.
Every peer-reviewed study on fascia in one place — graded for strength of evidence, summarised in plain language for clinicians, researchers, and curious readers.
We grade studies from A to 1A+++ using the Fascia Research Database rubric — 1A+++ is the strongest.
Researchers behind the studies- A+++2016
Understanding Mechanobiology: Physical Therapists as a Force in Mechanotherapy and Musculoskeletal Regenerative Rehabilitation
William R Thompson, Alexander Scott, M Terry Loghmani, Samuel R Ward, Stuart J WardenThis perspective article explores the field of mechanobiology and how physical therapists use mechanical forces to promote tissue healing. It explains that cells in our muscles, bones, and tendons respond to physical st…
RehabilitationTherapymechantransduction - B2016
Internal strain drives spontaneous periodic buckling in collagen and regulates remodeling
Andrew Dittmore, Jonathan Silver, Susanta K Sarkar, Barry Marmer, Gregory I Goldberg, Keir C NeumanThis study investigated how collagen, a key structural protein, is remodeled. Researchers observed that the enzymes responsible for breaking down collagen, called MMPs, bind to specific, vulnerable spots that appear at…
mechanosensingCollagenasematrix metalloproteinasesingle moleculepattern formation - A+++2016
Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: What Polyphenols Can Do for Us?
Tarique Hussain, Bie Tan, Yulong Yin, Francois Blachier, Myrlene C B Tossou, Najma RahuThis narrative review explores the link between oxidative stress and inflammation, focusing on how plant-derived polyphenols may mitigate these processes. Oxidative stress occurs when reactive oxygen species overwhelm t…
inflammationOxidative stresspolyphenols - A+++2016
Vitamin C and Heart Health: A Review Based on Findings from Epidemiologic Studies
Melissa A Moser, Ock K ChunThis review examines the relationship between vitamin C and heart health by analyzing data from epidemiological studies and clinical trials. Research suggests that vitamin C may protect blood vessels by preventing the o…
cardiovascular disease; clinical trials; meta-analyses; observational cohort studies; vitamin C. - B2016
Limited mechanical effects of intermuscular myofascial connections within the intact rat anterior crural compartment
Chris Tijs, Jaap H van Dieën, Huub MaasIn this animal study, researchers investigated the connective tissue links between two lower leg muscles in rats, the tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus. The goal was to see if these connections significant…
Tibialis anteriorExtensor digitorum longus3D kineticsCo-activationMechanical interaction - A2016
Endogenous spontaneous ultraweek photon emission in the formation of eye-specific retinogeniculate projections before birth
István Bókkon, Felix Scholkmann, Vahid Salari, Noémi Császár, Gábor KapócsIt has long been a puzzle how the intricate nerve connections between the eye and brain form so accurately before birth, without any visual input. This theoretical paper proposes a novel explanation for this phenomenon.…
discrete retinal noise; intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells; retinogeniculate pathways; spontaneous ultraweak photon emission - A++2016
Efficacy and tolerability of an undenatured type II collagen supplement in modulating knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
James P Lugo, Zainulabedin M Saiyed, Nancy E LaneThis randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the effects of undenatured type II collagen (UC-II) on symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Over a 180-day period, 191 volunteers received either 40 mg of UC…
osteoarthritisKnee functionT regulatorycellUndenaturedtype II collagen - A++2016
Ultra-weak photon emission of hands in aging prediction
Xin Zhao, Eduard van Wijk, Yu Yan, Roeland van Wijk, Huanming Yang, Yan Zhang, Jian WangThis study, for which a full summary is not yet available, appears to investigate the relationship between ultra-weak photon emissions from the hands and the biological aging process. The title suggests researchers expl…
AgingbiophotonsUltra-weak photon emissionModel prediction - A2016
Fibromodulin Interacts with Collagen Cross-linking Sites and Activates Lysyl Oxidase
Sebastian Kalamajski, Dominique Bihan, Arkadiusz Bonna, Kristofer Rubin, Richard W FarndaleFibrosis is characterized by a dense and stiff collagen matrix, formed through a cross-linking process driven by the enzyme lysyl oxidase (LOX). This study investigated the role of another protein, fibromodulin, in this…
fibrosiscollagen cross-linkingfibromodulinlysyl oxidase - C2016
Protein—glycosaminoglycan interaction networks: Focus on heparan sulfate
Sylvie Ricard-BlumThis research overview describes a project focused on glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), complex sugars found on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. Specifically, it investigates heparan sulfate and how it interac…
extracellular matrixHeparan sulfateInteraction networksInteraction databasesSurface plasmon resonance - 1A+2016
Hormone receptor expression in human fascial tissue
Caterina Fede, G Albertin, L Petrelli, M M Sfriso, C Biz, R De Caro, Carla SteccoAdult women tend to experience more myofascial pain than men, and this study explored a possible hormonal link. Researchers examined fascial tissue from eight female volunteers, looking for receptors for the hormones es…
Fascia; fascial fibroblasts; estrogen; relaxin; immunostaining - A2016
Systemic inflammatory profiles and their relationships with demographic, behavioural and clinical features in acute low back pain
David M Klyne, Mary F Barbe, Paul W HodgesThis study investigated systemic inflammation in acute low back pain, which is less studied than inflammation in chronic conditions. Researchers analyzed blood samples from 99 individuals within two weeks of LBP onset a…
Pro-inflammatory cytokinesC-reactive protein (CRP)Interleukin-6 (IL-6)Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)