A comparative study was given to a group of grafted tendons on rabbits either with complete immobilization or early controlled passive mobilization of the affected parts immediately following operation. In the study, the healing mechanism, adhesion formation and breaking strength at the grafted site of the tendons were included. The results showed that early controlled passive mobilization had no influence on the survival and its healing process, but the adhesion surrounding tendons would be looser and the vessels on the surface, of the grafted tendons would be orientated longitudinally enhancing tendon gliding promoted collagen it would also promote collagen production and thus increased the rupturing strength at the grafted site.
Objective To study the effect of decorin in the suppression of postoperative flexor tendon adhesion. Methods Eighteen Japanese large ear white rabbits underwent complete transection of the Ⅱ digit flexor digitorum profundus tendon in zone Ⅱ and defects immediately were repaired using the modified Kessler technique with -0 nonabsorbable monofilament suture. The site of the right repaired tendon was then injected with 100 μl of decorin(0.25mg/ml) as test toe, the site of the left repaired tendon with 100 μl of PBS as control toe. Inevery group, rabbits were killed and the feet were prepared for biomechanical testing, macroscopic examination and histological inspection. Results In every group, biomechanical testing demonstrates that the sliding distances and the rangs of motion significantly increased in the test toe compared with the control toe(Plt;0.05); macroscopic examination demonstrated that the tendon adhesions of the test toe were significantly reduced when compared with the control toe. In the tese toe, hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that the hyperplasia of fibroblast was significantly delayed and the collagen fibrils arranged regularly and hadthe normal diameters. Conclusion Decorin can significantly reduce the flexor tendon adhesion formation, adjust collagen fibrillogenesis and promote the tendon healing.
ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness of functional reconstruction of hand grasp and pinch by tendon transfers in patients with cervical spinal cord injury.MethodsBetween July 2013 and January 2016, tendon transfer surgery were performed in 21 patients (41 hands) with cervical spinal injury that motion level was located at C6 to reconstruct hand grasp and pinch function. There were 18 males and 3 females with a mean age of 42.3 years (range, 17-65 years). Nineteen patients were with complete spinal cord injury [American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grading A], 1 patient was with central cord syndrome whose bilateral hands were completely paralyzed and lower limbs were normal (ASIA grading D), and 1 patient was with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (AISA grading D). The time from injury to hospitalization was 12-22 months (mean, 16.8 months). According to the International classification of surgery of the hand in tetraplegia (ICSHT), there were 6 cases of grade O3, 10 of grade O4, 3 of grade OCu5, and 2 of grade O5. The surgery was divided into two stages with an interval of 6-11 months. At the first stage, grip function was reconstructed in all patients by transfering the extensor carpi radialis longus from radialis side to palmar side through subcutaneous tunnel, and braided and sutured with the flexor pollicis longus and flexor digitorum profundus. At the second stage, the lateral pinch function of the thumb and index finger was reconstructed by braiding and suturing the radial half of the extensor carpi ulnaris (the patients graded as ICSHT O3) or pronator tere (the patients graded above ICSHT O3) with extensor pollicis longus and abductor pollicis longus. The grasp force, the thumb and index finger lateral pinch force, and the maximum fingertips distance between the thumb and index finger were measured at preoperation and at different time points after operation. The modified Lamb and Chan questionnaire, based upon the activities of daily living, was used to evaluate the hand function of all patients at 6 months after sencond stage surgery.ResultsThere was 1 patient with elbow skin lesion, 1 patient with wrist stiffness; both of them recovered after corresponding treatment. All the 21 patients were followed up 15-32 months (mean, 19.6 months) without wound infection, tendon adhesion, tendon rupture, and other complications. The grasp forces of all patients were significantly improved at 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after the first stage surgery when compared with preoperative value (P<0.05); and no significant difference was found between different time points after operation (P>0.05). The thumb and index finger lateral pinch force and the maximum fingertips distance between the thumb and index finger of all patients were also significantly improved at 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after the second stage surgery when compared with preoperative values (P<0.05); and no significant difference was found between different time points after operation (P>0.05). And there was no significant difference of above indexes between the patients graded as ICSHT O3 and above ICSHT O3 (P>0.05). The functional outcome was good in 19 cases, fair in 1 case, and poor in 1 case according to modified Lamb and Chan questionnaire at 6 months after second stage surgery.ConclusionTendon transfer can significantly improve the hand function and the quality of life of the patients with complete cervical spinal cord injury.
To investigate the preventive effect of TGF-β1 neutral izing antibody on collagen production and adhesion formation of flexor tendon. Methods Tendon fibroblasts, epitenon tenocytes, and endotenon tenocytes were obtained from 6 New Zealand rabbit flexor tendons. Each cell culture was supplemented with 1 ng/mL of TGF-β along with increasing dose of TGF-β1 neutral izing antibody. Col I production was measured by enzyme-l inked immunoabsorbent assay after 3 days. Eighty-four adult New Zealand White rabbits forepaws underwent sharp transection of middle digit flexor digitorumprofundus and immediate repair. Then the rabbits were divided into three groups: the normal saline (NS group, n=36), 1.0 µg/ mL TGF-β1neutral izing antibody (1.0 µg/mL TGF-β1group, n=36) and 2.0 µg/mL TGF-β1 neutral izing antibody (2.0 µg/mL TGF-β1 group, n=12) were injected in tendon sheath respectively. Tendons were harvested at 4 and 8 weeks for biomechanics testing, histological evaluation and scanning electron microscope observation. Tendons were harvested at 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks to determine the mRNA expression of TGF-β1 and Col I by in situ hybridization. Results ELISA exhibed that TGF-β1 enhanced Col I production and the neutral izing antibody significantly inhibited TGF-β1-induced Col I production in all 3 cell culture with a dose-dependent. At 4 and 8 weeks after operation the gl iding excursion of the tendon and the simulated active flexion in NS group were less than that of 1.0 µg/mL TGF-β1 group and 2.0 µ g/mL TGF-β1 group. There was significant difference between NS group and 1.0 µ g/mL TGF-β1 group, 2.0 µ g/mL TGF-β1 group (P lt; 0.05). The tendon anastomosis breaking strength showed no significant differences among three groups (P gt; 0.05). Scanning electron microscope and histological observation showed that collagen fibers arranged irregularly in NS group, but arranged regularly in 1.0 µ g/mL TGF-β1 group and 2.0 µ g/mL TGF-β1group at 4 and 8 weeks after operation. The in situ hybridization results revealed that TGF-β1 and Col I mRNA expression in 1.0 µ g/mL TGF-β1 group was lower than that in NS group at each time. There was significant difference between two groups (P lt; 0.05). Conclusion TGF-β1neutral izing antibody can inhibit the function of the TGF-β1 effectively and prevent adhesion formation after the flexor tendon injured and repaired.
One of the most difficult problems on tendon surgery is adhesion formation during the process of tendon healing, which causes functional interference. This pathophysiologic pcocess is closely related to the ways of tendon nourishment and types of tendon healing. In order to understand whether the sutured tendon couldheal without blood circulation, the process and types of tendon healing in the synovial fluid were studied by in vivo culture modle. Flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) segments from the front paw of 50 New Zedland white rabbits were cut inthe middle and sutured with microsurgical technique, and then, preserved in thesynovial cavitied of both knees of the rabbits. After 1, 2, 4, 6 weeks, the specimens from the synovial cavities were studied by gross observation, light microscope, scanning and transmission electron microscope, and biochemical determination. The results showed that the tendon which was nourished by synovial fluid not only could survive, but also could heal. Healing of the tendon was completed by activation and proliferation of both peritendon cells and cells in the tendon.The healing could be devided into 3 periods: malnutrition period (less than 1 week), reparative period (2-4 week) and rebuilding period (more than 4 week).
OBJECTIVE: The review the effect of cytokines on repair of tendon injury and the relevant mechanism. METHODS: By broadly consulting recent issues about cytokines involved in tendon repair, a variety of cytokines with effects in repairing injured tendon was made and the possible mechanisms were summarized, with unsolved problems discussed. RESULTS: There were many cytokines participated in the procedure of tendon repair, among which insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), transforming growth-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) played significant roles. Most of the relevant researches were limited in experimental study in vitro. CONCLUSION: Cytokines possibly can accelerate tendon repair and show great potentials in future clinical application.
In order to understand the influence of the free tendon graft and the tendon transfer on their blood supply, histological and biochemical changes during healing following repair of the damaged tendon after the alteration of the nourishing environment, an experiment was carried on 36 New Zealand white rabbits. In the front paws of the rabbits, the free tendon graft was sutured in the tendon defect of flexor of the fourth toe and the flexor tendon of the third toe was transferred to the second toe to reconstr...
OBJECTIVE To improve the clinical result of repair on flexor tendon injury, and recover the defected finger function in children as far as possible. METHODS From January 1990 to October 1997, 12 cases with flexor tendon injury were repaired by microsurgical technique, sutured by modified Kessler method with 3/0 or 5/0 nontraumatic thread and followed by invering suture of the gap edge with 7/0 or 8/0 nontraumatic thread after debridement. Appropriate functional practice was performed postoperatively. RESULTS All the defected fingers were healed by first intention. Followed up 6 months to 1 year, there was excellent in 7 cases, better in 4 cases, moderate in 1 case and 91.67% in excellent rate according to the TAM standard of International Hand Committee. CONCLUSION The important measures to improve the clinical result in children’s flexor tendon injury are prompt and accurate diagnosis and repair of the injured tendon by microsurgical technique, and effective postoperative functional practice.
For the purpose of understanding the distribution of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptor on the tendon cell, the continuous cultured tendon cell line was studied by following experiments. With the methods of immunohistochemical study and flow cytometric study, the density of IGF-1 receptor of the primary, 6th and 13th generation of tendon cell was analyzed. The results showed that there was no difference of the receptor density among those generations. However, in the cell cycle, the numbers of IGF-1 receptor in G2M phase tendon cells were more than that in G1 phase cells (P lt; 0.01). These works provided sufficient evident which suggested there were stable density of IGF-1 receptor on the tendon cell though out the life span of tendon cell. This may build some foundation in growth control of tendon cell by growth factor in the research of tendon tissue engineering.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of tissue engineered tendon on subgroup of T lymphocytes and its receptor in Roman chickens. METHODS: The flexor digitorum profundus of the third toes of right feet in 75 Roman chickens were resected and made 2.5 cm defects as experimental model. They were randomly divided into five groups according to five repair methods: no operation (group A), autograft (group B), fresh allograft (group C), polymer combined with allogenous tendon cells (group D), derived tendon materials combined with allogenous tendon cells (group E). The proliferation and transformation of lymphocytes and contribution of CD4+, CD8+, CD28 and T cell receptor (TCR) were detected to study the immune response. RESULTS: The CD4+, CD8+ and TCR of group D and E were increased slightly than that of group B after 7 days, while after 14 days, those data decreased gradually and no significant difference between tissue engineered tendon and autografts (P gt; 0.05), and there was significant difference between fresh allograft and tissue engineered tendon (P lt; 0.05). Lymphocytes transformation induced by conA also showed no significant difference between tissue engineered tendon and autografts (P gt; 0.05). CONCLUSION: Tendon cells are hypoantigen cells, there are less secretion of soluble antigen or antigen chips dropped out from cells. Tissue engineered tendon has excellent biocompatibility.