Massage & Bodywork

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2016

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C h e c k o u t A B M P 's l a t e s t n e w s a n d b l o g p o s t s . Av a i l a b l e a t w w w. a b m p . c o m . 61 THE STRUCTURING ROLE OF THE MULTIMICROVACUOLAR When the surgeon makes an incision in the skin and parts the tissues to gain deeper access, small bubbles appear at the surface of the exposed structures, be they muscle, tendon, or indeed any organ within the body (Image 8). This occurs a few minutes after the incision has been made. These microbubbles, which can measure as much as 1 millimeter in diameter, are the manifestation of naturally existing volumes within the tissues—the microvacuoles. They are revealed because air at normal atmospheric pressure has entered them, either breaking through or diffusing across their walls. This is because the internal pressure of the microvacuoles is different from that of atmospheric pressure. This observation is fundamental, because it introduces the idea of a pressurized microvolume with clearly defined boundaries. We see this regularly during in vivo endoscopic exploration. It is central to all our observations. If we grasp with surgical forceps the tissue in which the microbubbles have formed, the traction creates strange movements brought about by the bursting of these bubbles at atmospheric pressure (Image 9). This phenomenon indicates the existence of some kind of hydraulic system with pressure differences. We can see this hydraulic pressure phenomenon whenever traction is applied to the connective tissue surrounding the tendons. A froth of small bubbles appears immediately, which seems to constitute the sliding tissue in its entirety. However, this happens only if traction is applied to these tissues in It is important to emphasize that everything in this extracellular world tends to be irregular and polyhedral. These polyhedrons are simple shapes but with sides that are mainly triangular, quadrilateral, pentagonal, or hexagonal. They are rarely more complicated. This is a constant, unvarying observation. Diversity is everywhere. We observe long and short fibrils, which are vertical, oblique, or transverse; close together or far apart; and of varying density. This formation, which some biophysicists call chaotic, displays another characteristic— the fractalization of this irregular network. This is, admittedly, somewhat surprising and can be confusing, because it contradicts what conventional teaching would lead us to expect. However, it is an undeniable fact and cannot be ignored. Smaller structures of similar design are found within large microvacuoles, and they fit together like Russian dolls. It begs the question: If the same multifibrillar architecture is found throughout the body, from the skin to the muscle and from the tendon to the periosteum, permitting constant intra- and interfibrillar movements and housing cells of different specifications, could the role of this fibrillar architecture be more important than has previously been supposed? Could it be that the connective tissue is not just inert packing tissue but the constitutive tissue from which the organs are developed? If we were to find this to be the case, it would be a significant paradigm shift. See more of Jean-Claude Guimberteau's work, as well as videos of the fascia in action, at www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com; find the exclusive discount for his book on page 112. vivo. This phenomenon is not so readily observed in a cadaver, and not at all in preserved tissue. The term microvacuole was chosen to emphasize the notion of a volume that is unoccupied by cells. Here again, we must stress that everything in the extracellular world tends to be polyhedral and irregular. Diversity is the norm. The fibrils are long, short, vertical, horizontal, or oblique. They can be close together or far apart, woven tightly or loosely. The fibrils interconnect and interact with each other. They branch off randomly in all directions. We must, therefore, abandon our search for any discernible regularity. The microvacuolar filling, being aqueous, is primarily composed of: • Highly hydrated proteoglycan gel: 72% • Collagen type I: 23% • Lipids: 3% • Collagen types III, IV, and VI: 2% Lipids are hydrophilic and probably play a role in the exchange of fluids between neighboring microvacuoles and between the microvacuoles and the circulatory system. This would explain the relatively high lipid content of the microvacuoles. Each microvacuole can change shape during movement

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