Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of tenocyte/hyaluronic acid therapy on the early recovery of healing Achilles tendon in rats

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the potential for a better recovery outcome for the Achilles tendon at an early healing stage when a mixed biomaterial-tenocyte injection is used. The experimental animals underwent single limb Achilles tendon transection followed by suturing repair. A solution of either hyaluronic acid with or without tenocytes or normal saline was randomly chosen to be injected around the injury site after surgery. To obtain the comprehensive recovery condition of the rats on different management protocols, the animals were evaluated histologically, mechanically, and functionally. A significant difference in the recovery condition was found in the injured tendon injected with the hyaluronic acid solution with tenocytes compared with the other groups. Tendon stiffness and the locomotion abilities of the rats with healing Achilles tendons were improved in the hyaluronic acid with tenocyte transplantation group. The acceleration of the inflammatory phase in rats with the hyaluronic acid with tenocyte injections might be the major reason for the better functional outcomes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Soldatis JJ, Goodfellow DB, Wilber JH. End-to-end operative repair of Achilles tendon rupture. Am J Sports Med. 1997;25:90–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ahmed Z, Underwood S, Brown RA. Low concentrations of fibrinogen increase cell migration speed on fibronectin/fibrinogen composite cables. Cell Motil Cytoskeleton. 2000;46:6–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. O’Brien M. Functional anatomy and physiology of tendons. Clin Sports Med. 1992;11:505–20.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hess GP, Cappiello WL, Poole RM, Hunter SC. Prevention and treatment of overuse tendon injuries. Sports Med. 1989;8:371–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Kirkendall DT, Garrett WE. Function and biomechanics of tendons. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1997;7:62–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Sharma P, Maffulli N. Tendon injury and tendinopathy: healing and repair. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2005;87:187–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. O’Brien M. Structure and metabolism of tendons. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 1997;7:55–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Williams JG. Achilles tendon lesions in sport. Sports Med. 1986;3:114–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Chen J, Yu Q, Wu B, Lin Z, Pavlos NJ, Xu J, Ouyang H, Wang A, Zheng MH. Autologous tenocyte therapy for experimental Achilles tendinopathy in a rabbit model. Tissue Eng Part A. 2011;17:2037–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Chen JM, Willers C, Xu J, Wang A, Zheng MH. Autologous tenocyte therapy using porcine-derived bioscaffolds for massive rotator cuff defect in rabbits. Tissue Eng. 2007;13:1479–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Clarke AW, Alyas F, Morris T, Robertson CJ, Bell J, Connell DA. Skin-derived tenocyte-like cells for the treatment of patellar tendinopathy. Am J Sports Med. 2011;39:614–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Stoll C, John T, Conrad C, Lohan A, Hondke S, Ertel W, Kaps C, Endres M, Sittinger M, Ringe J, Schulze-Tanzil G. Healing parameters in a rabbit partial tendon defect following tenocyte/biomaterial implantation. Biomaterials. 2011;32:4806–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Chong AKS, Ang AD, Goh JCH, Hui JHP, Lim AYT, Lee EH, Lim BH. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells influence early tendon-healing in a rabbit Achilles tendon model. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007;89A:74–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Awad HA, Butler DL, Boivin GP, Smith FN, Malaviya P, Huibregtse B, Caplan AI. Autologous mesenchymal stem cell-mediated repair of tendon. Tissue Eng. 1999;5:267–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Juncosa-Melvin N, Boivin GP, Gooch C, Galloway MT, West JR, Dunn MG, Butler DL. The effect of autologous mesenchymal stem cells on the biomechanics and histology of gel-collagen sponge constructs used for rabbit patellar tendon repair. Tissue Eng. 2006;12:369–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Noble PW. Hyaluronan and its catabolic products in tissue injury and repair. Matrix Biol. 2002;21:25–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Zimmerman E, Geiger B, Addadi L. Initial stages of cell-matrix adhesion can be mediated and modulated by cell-surface hyaluronan. Biophys J. 2002;82:1848–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Funakoshi T, Majima T, Iwasaki N, Suenaga N, Sawaguchi N, Shimode K, Minami A, Harada K, Nishimura S. Application of tissue engineering techniques for rotator cuff regeneration using a chitosan-based hyaluronan hybrid fiber scaffold. Am J Sports Med. 2005;33:1193–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Kutty JK, Cho E, Lee JS, Vyavahare NR, Webb K. The effect of hyaluronic acid incorporation on fibroblast spreading and proliferation within PEG-diacrylate based semi-interpenetrating networks. Biomaterials. 2007;28:4928–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Liang JI, Chen MY, Hsieh TH, Liu CY, Lam CF, Chen JJ, Yeh ML. Video-based Gait Analysis for Functional Evaluation of Healing Achilles Tendon in Rats. Ann Biomed Eng. 2012;40:2532–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Liu W, Chen B, Deng D, Xu F, Cui L, Cao Y. Repair of tendon defect with dermal fibroblast engineered tendon in a porcine model. Tissue Eng. 2006;12:775–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Lee HY, Hsieh TH, Liang JI, Yeh ML, Chen JJ. Quantitative video-based gait pattern analysis for hemiparkinsonian rats. Med Biol Eng Comput. 2012;50:937–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Robinson RO, Herzog W, Nigg BM. Use of Force Platform Variables to Quantify the Effects of Chiropractic Manipulation on Gait Symmetry. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1987;10:172–6.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Gouwanda D, Senanayake SMNA. Identifying gait asymmetry using gyroscopes-A cross-correlation and normalized symmetry index approach. J Biomech. 2011;44:972–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Murrell GA, Lilly EG, Davies H, Best TM, Goldner RD, Seaber AV. The Achilles functional index. J Orthop Res. 1992;10:398–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Liang JI, Chen MY, Hsieh TH, Liu CY, Lam CF, Chen JJ, Yeh ML. Video-based gait analysis for functional evaluation of healing Achilles tendon in rats. Ann Biomed Eng. 2012;40(12):2532–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Li R, Nauth A, Li C, Qamirani E, Atesok K, Schemitsch EH. Expression of VEGF gene isoforms in a rat segmental bone defect model treated with EPCs. J Orthop Trauma. 2012;26:689–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Yuan J, Murrell GA, Wei AQ, Wang MX. Apoptosis in rotator cuff tendonopathy. J Orthop Res. 2002;20:1372–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Machner A, Baier A, Wille A, Drynda S, Pap G, Drynda A, Mawrin C, Buhling F, Gay S, Neumann W, Pap T. Higher susceptibility to Fas ligand induced apoptosis and altered modulation of cell death by tumor necrosis factor-alpha in periarticular tenocytes from patients with knee joint osteoarthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2003;5:R253–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Oshiro W, Lou J, Xing X, Tu Y, Manske PR. Flexor tendon healing in the rat: a histologic and gene expression study. J Hand Surg Am. 2003;28:814–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Yeung CK, Guo X, Ng YF. Pulsed ultrasound treatment accelerates the repair of Achilles tendon rupture in rats. J Orthop Res. 2006;24:193–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. See EK, Ng GY, Ng CO, Fung DT. Running exercises improve the strength of a partially ruptured Achilles tendon. Br J Sports Med. 2004;38:597–600.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Krahe MA, Berlet GC. Achilles tendon ruptures, re rupture with revision surgery, tendinosis, and insertional disease. Foot Ankle Clin. 2009;14:247–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Clarke KA, Still J. Gait analysis in the mouse. Physiol Behav. 1999;66:723–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Road, Tainan, 701, Taiwan

    Jen-I Liang, Ping-Chia Lin, Meng-Yi Chen, Jia-Jin Jason Chen & Ming-Long Yeh

  2. Department of Orthopedics, China Medical University Beigang Hospital, Yunlin, Taiwan

    Meng-Yi Chen

  3. Graduate Institute of Neural Regenerative Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Tsung-Hsun Hsieh

  4. Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan

    Jia-Jin Jason Chen & Ming-Long Yeh

Authors
  1. Jen-I Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ping-Chia Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Meng-Yi Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tsung-Hsun Hsieh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jia-Jin Jason Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ming-Long Yeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ming-Long Yeh.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liang, JI., Lin, PC., Chen, MY. et al. The effect of tenocyte/hyaluronic acid therapy on the early recovery of healing Achilles tendon in rats. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 25, 217–227 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-013-5036-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-013-5036-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation