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Bordoni Bruno DO, PhD, Walkowski Stevan MD, DO, Paoletti Serge DO, Escher Allan MD, DO,
Tobbi Filippo DO, Luigi Pianese DO, Antonio Pranzitelli DO.
Il continuum fasciale è un argomento per cui tutti i clinici e altre figure sanitarie vengono in contatto
nel quotidiano, sia consapevolmente e sia senza avere idea che i tessuti di cui si occupano possono
rientrare nel concetto di fascia. L’organizzazione Foundation of Osteopathic Research and Clinical
Endorsement (FORCE) racchiude molti clinici e professionisti della salute, così come ricercatori in
differenti discipline scientifiche. L’obiettivo è quello di sviscerare alcuni concetti legati alla pratica
quotidiana, come il tessuto fasciale, dal punto di vista scientifico e in maniera imparziale. Prova della
imparzialità della FORCE è il fatto che non vende alcun prodotto fasciale, nessuno strumento e,
soprattutto, tutta la terminologia fasciale usata non possiede nessun copyrigth: la ricerca e la
conoscenza sono diritto di chiunque desideri migliorare per il bene del paziente. L’articolo si propone
di rivedere i temi che potrebbero aggiungere elementi nuovi per una visione più ampia del significato
e della nomenclatura del sistema fasciale.
Introduction
In letteratura scientifica (PubMed), il primo articolo che compare con il termine fascia è del 1814,
dove un medico descrive un intervento chirurgico, mettendo in luce il concetto di tessuto connettivo
o fascia che separa i diversi distretti muscolari [1]. Un altro testo del 1824 descrive i diversi strati e
fasce dell’area inguinale, sottolineando la difficoltà nel trovare una denominazione comune di questa
porzione anatomica [2]. Altri testi scientifici tra la fine del 1800 e l’inizio del 1900 discutono dei
diversi strati del tessuto fasciale, [3-5]. Nel ventesimo secolo, dopo molte pubblicazioni impiegando
il termine fascia, escono alcune precisazioni anatomiche sulla terminologia ad opera di alcuni gruppi
di anatomisti e ricercatori, come la International Anatomical Nomenclature Committee (1983) e la
Federative Committee on Anatomical Terminology (1998) [6]. Questi ultimi due gruppi mettono in
evidenza alcune parole come “fascia superficialis”, “fascia profunda”, paragonando il tessuto fasciale
come “sheaths, sheets or other dissectible connective tissue aggregations” [6]. Nel ventunesimo
secolo, questi gruppi non si sono discostati da questi concetti. Nel nuovo millennio possiamo ritrovare
un altro gruppo dedicato allo studio del tessuto fasciale, il Fascia Nomenclature Committee (FNC), il
quale deriva a sua volta dalla Fascia Research Society (2014) [6]. Un articolo del 2019, sotto l’egida
della FNC, aggiunge un ulteriore distinzione tra il termine fascia e il sistema fasciale; per questa
organizzazione il primo termine equivale alla descrizione del tessuto (mesoscopic and microscopic
scale), mentre il sistema fasciale racchiude il concetto di funzioni della fascia [6]. Per la FNC: “A
fascia is a sheath, a sheet, or any other dissectible aggregations of connective tissue that forms beneath
the skin to attach, enclose, and separate muscles and other internal organs”; mentre il sistema fasciale:
“The fascial system consists of the three‐dimensional continuum of soft, collagen containing, loose
and dense fibrous connective tissues that permeate the body” [6].
Secondo un’altra organizzazione senza fini di lucro, la Foundation of Osteopathic Research and
Clinical Endorsement (FORCE), la fascia/continuum fasciale è definita come: “The fascia is any
tissue that contains features capable of responding to mechanical stimuli. The fascial continuum is
the result of the evolution of the perfect synergy among different tissues, liquids and solids, capable
of supporting, dividing, penetrating, feeding and connecting all the regions of the body, from the
epidermis to the bone, involving all its functions and organic structures. This continuum constantly
transmits and receives mechanometabolic information that can influence the shape and function of
the entire body. These afferent/efferent impulses come from the fascia and the tissues that are not
considered as part of the fascia in a biunivocal mode. In this definition, these tissues include:
"epidermis, dermis, fat, blood, lymph, blood, and lymphatic vessels, tissue covering the nervous
filaments (endoneurium, perineurium, epineurium), voluntary striated muscle fibers and the tissue
covering and permeating it (epimysium, perimysium, endomysium), ligaments, tendons, aponeurosis,
cartilage, bones, meninges, and tongue” [7,8].
Qual è il presupposto scientifico per definire un tessuto (costituito da cellule diverse)? Chi sono le
figure che dovrebbero avere un’opinione sul medesimo tessuto? Cercando di rispondere a queste due
domande, l’articolo rivede anche le informazioni scientifiche vigenti e aggiornate per trovare una
definizione più consona del tessuto fasciale, sottolineandone l’importanza clinica e le potenzialità
terapeutiche.
Conclusion
L’articolo ha rivisto concetti legati al sistema fasciale e le più aggiornate ricerche e articoli per dare
una definizione e nomenclatura di quello che potrebbe essere considerato il continuum fasciale,
sottolineando alcune connotazioni cliniche e patologiche. Il testo ha illustrato alcune nozioni
embriologiche, in quanto gli autori credono che partendo dalla conoscenza dell’origine dei tessuti, è
possibile individuare la più corretta connotazione del medesimo tessuto. Rispetto alle precedenti
pubblicazioni scientifiche del gruppo FORCE, il quale racchiude studiosi e professionisti di tutto il
mondo e con titoli accademici differenti, abbiamo aggiunto delle strutture anatomiche non citate sino
ad ora, come i legamenti viscerali, epiploon (small and large), and peritoneum.
Concludiamo con un’ultima riflessione, ovvero, la conoscenza non è un punto di arrivo ma, piuttosto,
un’ampia base per trovare ulteriori domande.
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