This fibrous connective tissue interpenetrates and surrounds the muscles, bones, nerves, and blood vessels of the body.
It provides connection and communication in the form of aponeuroses, ligaments, tendons, retinacula, joint capsules, and septa.
The deep fasciae envelop all bone (periosteum and endosteum); cartilage (perichondrium), and blood vessels (tunica externa) and become specialized in muscles (epimysium, perimysium, and endomysium) and nerves (epineurium, perineurium, and endoneurium).
[3][4] Deep fascia is able to respond to sensory input by contracting; by relaxing; or by adding, reducing, or changing its composition through the process of fascial remodeling.
By monitoring changes in muscular tension, joint position, rate of movement, pressure, and vibration, mechanoreceptors in the deep fascia are capable of initiating relaxation.
The fascia will normalize its composition and tone and the extra material that was generated by prolonged contraction will be ingested by macrophages within the extracellular matrix.
An example of this is seen in the menstrual cycle, where hormones are secreted to create changes in the uterine and pelvic floor fascia.