Optimizing tissue engineering in rotator cuff repair

Retear and failure to heal are significant post-operative complications in rotator cuff repair surgery despite the use of commercially available rotator cuff repair grafts. Advances in tissue engineering have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and growth factors (GFs) enhance the regeneration of rotator cuff tendon-to-bone insertion in animal models, as described in an article published in the peer-reviewed journal Tissue Engineering, Part B. The article explores the gap that currently exists between the promising biological factors which have been investigated in animal models and the rotator cuff repair grafts that can be used in the clinical setting. Click here to read the article now.

The medical literature suggests that following rotator cuff surgery, retear rates can range from 29.5% to as high as 94%. 

Yunzhi Peter Yang, PhD, and colleagues from Stanford University, state that studies in animal models that delivered MSCs and GFs to the site of rotator cuff tear enhanced repair and lead to greater mechanical strength. Grafts that incorporated MSCs and GFs enhanced anti-inflammation, bone formation, and cartilage tissue formation.

“It is crucial that the techniques, which have shown success in animal models, are incorporated into the clinical setting,” state the authors. “Future rotator cuff repair grafts must allow for stable implantation and fixation, be compatible with current arthroscopic techniques, and have the capability to deliver MSCs and/or GFs.”

“This review manuscript offers a comprehensive overview of the existing literature on this important topic, which provides an important roadmap for our readership,” says Tissue Engineering Part B Co-Editor-in-Chief Katja Schenke-Layland, MSc, PhD, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen.

About the Journal
Tissue Engineering, Part B: Reviews serves as the authoritative peer-reviewed biomedical journal advancing the field with cutting-edge review articles focused on the repair or regeneration of tissues and organs. The Journal is led by Co-Editors-in-Chief Katja Schenke-Layland, MSc, PhD, Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, and Heungsoo Shin, PhD, Hanyang University, and is an influential and central forum for groundbreaking scientific research and developments from leading experts in the field. Complete tables of contents and a sample issue are available on the Tissue Engineering, Part B: Reviews website.

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is a global media company dedicated to creating, curating, and delivering impactful peer-reviewed research and authoritative content services to advance the fields of biotechnology and the life sciences, specialized clinical medicine, and public health and policy. For complete information, please visit the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website.