Fig. 3

a–c Light-microscopic views of specimens obtained from three different patients from the gluteus medius tendon or tendon-like repair tissue. The a, b, and c views have a magnification of approximately ×100. The staining is hematoxylin and eosin in a and b and Alcian blue-PAS in c. Biopsy specimen A was obtained from a 61-year-old female patient who had had previous hip surgery performed with a posterior approach. The tendon-like tissue depicted parallel bundles of dense connective tissue with slight waviness and elongated tendon fibroblasts. Biopsy specimen B came from a 66-year-old male patient with previous hip surgery with a direct lateral approach and revealed dense collagen tissue with the derangement of bundle structure, increased cellularity with tendon fibroblasts with a somewhat rounded appearance and vessels within the tendon. Biopsy specimen C was obtained from a 64-year-old female patient with previous surgery via a direct lateral approach. The photomicrograph showed areas of blue alcianophilia corresponding to an increased content of glycosaminoglycans in the tendon-like gluteus medius tissue.