Artikel
Improvement of tendon healing with growth factors
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Veröffentlicht: | 21. Oktober 2010 |
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Gliederung
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Objective: Tendon ruptures are common. As the healing process become clear, one can consider introducing biological therapy into clinical use. This study compares the benefits of three different approaches, TGF-β (multifunctional growth factor), BMP-12 (specific growth factor), and activated serum (AS) as an example for biological therapy.
Methods: The transected rat Achilles tendon was used for the evaluation of the effect of all growth factors (BMP-12, TGF-β, activated serum). Animals were sacrificed and Achilles tendon tendon-bone units were collected. Biomechanical testing, histochemical and immunochemical analyses of regenerate sections were performed using standard techniques.
Results and conclusions: Biomechanical testing of the healing rat Achilles tendon treated with TGF-β / BMP-12 showed an increased maximum load. 1 week after surgery (p=0.0012 / P=0.0379). Achilles tendons treated with AS showed no differences in maximum load to failure. Histological examination was quite similar if TGF- β or BMP-12 was used. Tissue treated with AS had a smooth appearance resembling very much normal tendons. Control tendons contain mainly collagen I, and approximately 3% collagen III. In regenerates formed under the influence of TGF-β this collagen ratio is reached after 2 weeks, BMP-12 by week 4, and with AS by week 8.
Our data indicate that the mix of growth factors and cytokines in activated serum yields superior tendon healing than single growth factors as judged by histological appearance of the regenerate. However, growth factors BMP-12 and TGF-β yielded better biomechanical results and more favorable collagen expression ratios, respectively.