Abstract Engineering scaffolds to augment the repair of hard-to-soft multitissue musculoskeletal tissue units, such as bone-tendon, simultaneously support healing and functional movement has had limited success. Overcoming this challenge will require not only precise spatial control bone- tendon-like biomechanical properties, but also consideration resultant cues, well embedded biochemical cues...

Surgical reattachment of tendon and bone such as in rotator cuff repair, patellar-patella tendon repair and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction often fails due to the failure of regeneration of the specialized tissue ("enthesis") which connects tendon to bone. Tendon-to-bone healing taking place between inhomogenous tissues is a slow process compared to healing within homogenous tis...

Tendon adhesions are one of the most concerning complications after surgical repair of flexor tendon injury. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 2 plays crucial roles in fibroblast proliferation and collagen expression which contributes to the formation of tendon adhesions after flexor tendon surgery. Using a chicken model, we have examined the effects of a small interfering RNA (siRNA)...

Adhesion of the tendon, which can occur during healing of tendon repair, is negatively affected by the outcome of surgery. In this experimental study, we sought to prevent adhesion of the tendon, and determined the mechanical stiffness of repair tissue by wrapping sodium hyaluronate and carboxymethylcellulose (Seprafilm; Genzyme, Cambridge, Massachusetts) around the repaired tendon segments. Th...

Introduction It has been well documented that bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) are progenitors of various structural and connective tissues, including bone, cartilage, and fat. Recent studies reported that MSCs could suppress lymphocyte proliferation in vitro and allogeneic MSCs implanted by systemic infusion could “home” to bone marrow of nonMHC matched baboons. These results have positive imp...

BACKGROUND Ten to seventy percent of rotator cuff repairs form a recurrent defect after surgery. The relationship between retraction of the repaired tendon and formation of a recurrent defect is not well defined. PURPOSE/ HYPOTHESES: To measure the prevalence, timing, and magnitude of tendon retraction after rotator cuff repair and correlate these outcomes with formation of a full-thickness rec...

BACKGROUND We hypothesize that an anatomic repair of the distal biceps tendon would recreate native tendon moment arm and forearm rotation, while a nonanatomic insertion would compromise moment arm and forearm rotation. METHODS Isometric supination torque was measured at 60° of pronation, neutral, and 60° of supination for the native distal biceps tendon and 4 repair points in 6 cadaveric spe...

The pathogenesis of adhesions following primary tendon repair is poorly understood, but is thought to involve dysregulation of matrix metalloproteinases (Mmps). We have previously demonstrated that Mmp9 gene expression is increased during the inflammatory phase following murine flexor digitorum (FDL) tendon repair in association with increased adhesions. To further investigate the role of Mmp9,...

Background: Tendons heal by fibrotic repair, increasing the likelihood of reinjury. Animal tendon injury and overuse models have identified transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) as factors actively involved in development fibrosis, mediating extracellular matrix synthesis cell differentiation. Purpose: To understand how TGF-β BMPs contribute to processes usi...