I took some meat cutting classes in high school. what Mule Deer said is spot on with what learned.
its been a while, but its a form of bacteria? that grows in 34-40 degree's that "tenderizes" the meat by breaking down fibers. boning or even quartering will allow muscle to contract, I have no proof of this, and the theory wasnt made up for wild game, but for the best beef products, try and go into a bucher shop and cut on a prime beef before it is properly aged, and you will have a knife stuck in your back!
all of this is mute, cause if it has to be boned out, it has to be boned out!
