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. 2024 Mar;52(3):3000605241232550.
doi: 10.1177/03000605241232550.

Effects of adipose-derived cell supplementation on tendon-bone healing in a rat model of chronic rotator cuff tear with suprascapular nerve injury

Kenichiro Eshima  1 , Hiroki Ohzono  2 , Masafumi Gotoh  2 , Ryunosuke Abe  2 , Hidehiro Nakamura  2 , Yasuhiro Mitsui  3 , Koji Hiraoka  4 , Takahiro Okawa  2
Affiliations

Effects of adipose-derived cell supplementation on tendon-bone healing in a rat model of chronic rotator cuff tear with suprascapular nerve injury

Kenichiro Eshima et al. J Int Med Res. 2024 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of adipose-derived cells (ADCs) on tendon-bone healing in a rat model of chronic rotator cuff tear (RCT) with suprascapular nerve (SN) injury.

Methods: Adult rats underwent right shoulder surgery whereby the supraspinatus was detached, and SN injury was induced. ADCs were cultured from the animals' abdominal fat. At 6 weeks post-surgery, the animals underwent surgical tendon repair; the ADC (+ve) group (n = 18) received an ADC injection, and the ADC (-ve) group (n = 18) received a saline injection. Shoulders were harvested at 10, 14, and 18 weeks and underwent histological, fluorescent, and biomechanical analyses.

Results: In the ADC (+ve) group, a firm enthesis, including dense mature fibrocartilage and well-aligned cells, were observed in the bone-tendon junction and fatty infiltration was less than in the ADC (-ve) group. Mean maximum stress and linear stiffness was greater in the ADC (+ve) compared with the ADC (-ve) group at 18 weeks.

Conclusion: ADC supplementation showed a positive effect on tendon-bone healing in a rat model of chronic RCT with accompanying SN injury. Therefore, ADC injection may possibly accelerate recovery in massive RCT injuries.

Keywords: Suprascapular nerve injury; adipose-derived cells; animal model; bone-tendon interface healing; rotator cuff tear.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Overview of the study time course. RCT, rotator cuff tear; SN, scapular nerve; ADC, adipose-derived cell; ADSC, adipose-derived stem cell.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Flow diagram of the study design, illustrating how the rats were divided into groups for the three time points. SSP, supraspinatus; PO, postoperative; SN, suprascapular nerve; ADC, adipose-derived cell.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Examples of histological findings (haematoxylin and eosin staining, magnification ×40) taken at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. ADC: adipose-derived cell.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Examples of histological findings (haematoxylin and eosin staining, magnification ×40) taken at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. ADC: adipose-derived cell, T: tendon, B: bone, I: tendon-bone interface
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Immunofluorescence staining of muscle belly from one animal taken at 18 weeks. The area indicated by the white arrow represents regions where fat is stained with perilipin staining. ADC: adipose-derived cell.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
The results of biomechanical testing. There were significant differences in favour of ADC (+ve) group compared with ADC (−ve) group, in mean maximum stress at 14 weeks and 18 weeks linear stiffness at 12 weeks and Youngs modulus at 18 weeks. *P < 0.05. ADC: adipose-derived cell.
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