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Effect of curcumin on tendon healing: an experimental study in a rat model of Achilles tendon injury

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Abstract

Purpose

This in vivo study aims to investigate the effects of curcumin which is recently developed for tendon healing using a rat Achilles tendon injury model.

Materials and methods

Eighteen male Wistar albino rats weighing 300–400 g were used in this study. Under anesthesia, Achilles tendon injuries were created and repaired surgically. Nine rats of the study group received curcumin (suspended in saline at a dose of 200 mg/kg orally) and eight rats of the control group received only saline solution by oral gavage for a period of 28 days. Animals were euthanized on the 28th post-operative day, and all the Achilles tendons were removed and transferred immediately for biomechanic and histological analysis.

Results

Macroscopically, all the tendons were fully healed. Total mean Bonar score was higher in the control group. When the parameters of Bonar score were analysed separately, tenocyte morphology, collogen, and ground substance scores were statistically lower than the control group (p = 0.03, 0.041, 0.049, respectively). Vascularity parameter did not show any statistical difference (p > 0.05). Of the nine biomechanical parameters, five of them (failure load, cross-sectional area, length, ultimate stress, strain) showed better results which were also statistically significant (p = 0.046, 0.027, 0.011, 0.021, 0.002, respectively). When the remaining four parameters were examined, the study group also had better results, but this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Curcumin had better results for total tendon healing not only histologically but also biomechanically. Curcumin could be an additional agent in the management of surgically repaired tendon injuries.

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Funding

This study was funded by Selcuk Universitesi BAP Office (Coordinatorship of scientific research projects of Selcuk University) (Grant Number is 15401173).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Alaeddin Keykubat Campus, 42130, Konya, Turkey

    Ali Güleç, Yılmaz Türk, Bahattin Kerem Aydin, Ömer Faruk Erkoçak & Selim Safalı

  2. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Alaeddin Keykubat Campus, 42130, Konya, Turkey

    Ceyhan Ugurluoglu

Authors
  1. Ali Güleç
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  2. Yılmaz Türk
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  3. Bahattin Kerem Aydin
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  4. Ömer Faruk Erkoçak
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  5. Selim Safalı
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  6. Ceyhan Ugurluoglu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bahattin Kerem Aydin.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Güleç, A., Türk, Y., Aydin, B.K. et al. Effect of curcumin on tendon healing: an experimental study in a rat model of Achilles tendon injury. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 42, 1905–1910 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-018-4017-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-018-4017-5

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