Human Tendon Tissue Collection for In Vitro Models and Tissue Analysis

The goal of this study is to improve understanding of tendon health and disease by using surplus tendon tissue that is routinely removed during planned orthopaedic surgeries in adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:

- What can tendon tissue and tendon cells tell us about how healthy and diseased tendons function?

Participants will not undergo any extra procedures. Instead, researchers will use only tissue that is already being removed as part of normal surgical care and would otherwise be discarded.

Participants will:

• Be asked for permission (consent) before their surgery to donate any surplus tendon tissue.
• Have a small piece of tendon tissue (normally waste material) collected during their planned operation.
• Allow the research team to access some non-identifiable medical information (such as age, reason for surgery, and relevant medical history) to help interpret research findings.

What the researchers will do with the donated tissue:

• Isolate different types of human tendon cells.
• Build advanced laboratory cellular models to study how tendon diseases develop.
• Analyse whole tendon tissue sections to understand cell types, tissue organisation, and disease-related changes.

This study does not involve testing treatments, and it does not change any aspect of a participant's clinical care. Although there is no direct benefit to participants, the donated tissue may help researchers develop better ways to study tendon injuries and improve future treatment options for tendon disease.