Table 1.

The modified Bonar score

Variables	Grade
	0	1	2	3
Tenocytes	Inconspicuous elongated, spindle-shaped nuclei with no obvious cytoplasm on light microscopy	Increased roundness: nucleus becomes more ovoid-to-round in shape without conspicuous cytoplasm	Increased roundness and size: the nucleus is round and slightly enlarged, and a small amount of cytoplasm is visible	Nucleus is round and large with abundant cytoplasm and lacuna formation (chondroid change)
Ground substance (relied on the quantity of bluish amorphous “myxoid” material seen in the tendon on hematoxylin and eosin staining)	No myxoid material	Myxoid material present in small quantities between discrete bundles	Myxoid material present in moderate-to-large amounts with loss of demarcation of bundles	Abundant myxoid material with loss of bundles
Collagen (with and without polarized light)	Collagen arranged in tightly cohesive, well-demarcated bundles with a smooth, dense, bright homogeneous polarization pattern with normal crimping	Diminished fiber polarization: separation of individual fibers with maintenance of demarcated bundles	Bundle changes: separation of fibers with loss of demarcation of bundles giving rise to expansion of the tissue overall and clear loss of normal polarization pattern	Marked separation of fibers with complete loss of architecture
Vascularity	Inconspicuous blood vessels coursing between bundles	Occasional cluster of capillaries, less than one per ten high-power fields	1–2 clusters of capillaries per ten high-power fields	Greater than two clusters per ten high-power fields