Takeshi Kataoka: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan. t.kataoka1010@gmail.com. ORCID
Yutaka Mifune: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.
Atsuyuki Inui: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.
Hanako Nishimoto: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.
Takashi Kurosawa: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.
Kohei Yamaura: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.
Shintaro Mukohara: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.
Takehiko Matsushita: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.
Takahiro Niikura: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.
Yasuhiko Tabata: Laboratory of Biomaterials, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, 53 Kawara-cho Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan.
Ryosuke Kuroda: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.
INTRODUCTION: Excellent outcomes of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair for small and medium tears have been recently reported. However, re-tears after surgery have been a common complication after surgical repair of large and massive rotator cuff tears and often occur in early postoperative phase. It was previously reported that basic fibroblast growth factor and platelet-rich plasma enhanced rotator cuff tear healing. We hypothesized that this combined therapy could enhance rotator cuff healing after rotator cuff repair in a rat model. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of combined therapy of platelet-rich plasma and basic fibroblast growth factor with gelatin-hydrogel sheet. METHODS: To create a rotator cuff defect, the infraspinatus tendon of Sprague Dawley rat was resected from the greater tuberosity. The infraspinatus tendons were repaired and covered with gelatin-hydrogel sheet impregnated with PBS (control group), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF group), platelet-rich plasma (PRP group), or both basic fibroblast growth factor and platelet-rich plasma (combined group). Histological examinations were conducted using hematoxylin and eosin, safranin O, and immunofluorescence staining, such as Isolectin B4, type II collagen at 2 weeks postoperatively. For mechanical analysis, ultimate failure load of the tendon-humeral head complex was evaluated at 6 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: In the hematoxylin and eosin staining, the tendon maturing score of the combined group was higher than that of the control group at postoperative 2 weeks. In the safranin O staining, stronger proteoglycan staining was observed in the combined group compared with the other groups at postoperative 2 weeks. Vascular staining with isolectin B4 in 3 treatment groups was significantly higher than that in the control group. Type II collagen expression in the combined group was significantly higher than those in the other groups. The ultimate failure load of the combined group was significantly higher than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: Combined therapy of basic fibroblast growth factor and platelet-rich plasma promoted angiogenesis, tendon maturing and fibrocartilage regeneration at the enthesis, which could enhance the mechanical strength. It was suggested that combined basic fibroblast growth factor and platelet-rich plasma might enhance both tendon and bone-tendon junction healing, and basic fibroblast growth factor and platelet-rich plasma might be synergistic.
