A delayed bone-tendon junction healing model established for potential treatment of related sports injuries.
BACKGROUND
Animal models for the study of tendinopathy and bone-tendon (B-T) junction repair have been established in the past for sports medicine research. As healing at the B-T junction is difficult and sometimes delayed, establishing a delayed B-T healing experimental model is therefore essential to study the efficacy of potential biophysical and biological interventions for treatment of B-T junction healing.


OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that a delay in B-T healing could be modelled by shielding the B-T healing interface for the initial few weeks.


METHODS
Using an established partial patellectomy model in rabbits, the B-T healing interface was shielded with a latex slice for the first 4 postoperative weeks in mature female rabbits. The characteristics of delay in B-T repair (n = 10) compared with controls (n = 10) were evaluated at 8 and 12 postoperative weeks.


RESULTS
Radiology showed consistent delay in osteogenesis at the healing interface in all samples in the delayed healing group; growth of new bone was only 25.8% and 50.1% of that in the control group at weeks 8 and 12, respectively. Bone mineral density was 56.0% lower in the delayed healing group at week 8, but this difference diminished at week 12. The quality of B-T healing was poor in the delayed healing group, with 22.9% and 24.2% lower failure load than the control group at weeks 8 and 12, respectively. The healing quality was also reflected by histological findings.


CONCLUSIONS
A delayed B-T healing experimental model was established for the first time for future sports medicine research.
Wang
L
L
Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, China.
Qin
L
L
Cheung
W-H
WH
Lu
H-B
HB
Yang
X-H
XH
Leung
K-S
KS
Wong
M W-N
MW
Chan
K-M
KM
D000818:Animals; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D015519:Bone Density; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D016723:Bone Remodeling; D005260:Female; D023421:Models, Animal; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D010329:Patella / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*; D017847:Patellar Ligament / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D011859:Radiography; D013710:Tendons; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*