The Effects Of Icariin On Tendon-bone Healing After Rotator Cuff Reconstruction

Objective:To investigate the effects of icariin(ICA)on tendon-bone healing after rotator cuff reconstruction.Methods:In total,64 male Sprague Dawley rats(250-300g)were used in a rotator cuff injury model and were randomly divided into 2 groups:the ICA group(n=32)and control group(n=32),and were underwent rotator cuff reconstruction using bone tunnel suture fixation.After surgery,rats from the ICA group were gavage-fed daily with ICA at 125mg/Kg,while rats in the control group received same volume saline only.Two and four weeks after surgery,half of the rats in each group were sacrificed for further analysis.Micro-CT,serum ELISA(Ca,ALP,OCN),biomechanical tests,and histological examinations(Safranin O and Fast Green staining,Coll,Col3,and VEGF)were analyzed to evaluated the effects of ICA on tendon-bone healing after rotator cuff reconstruction.Results:The serum levels of ALP and OCN in the ICA group were significantly higher than that in the control group in both 2 and 4 weeks after surgery(P<0.05).The results of micro-CT showed that ICA significantly increased the BMD and BV/TV when compared with the control group(P<0.05).More osteoblasts,chondrocytes,and Coll-,VEGF-positive cells were detected in the ICA group.Biomechanical tests showed that the ultimate failure load in the ICA group was significantly higher than the control group at both two and four weeks(P<0.05).However,no difference regarding the expression of Col 3 were discovered between groups at two or four weeks(P>0.05).Conclusion:Our results indicate that the ICA could promote osteogenesis and angiogenesis at the tendon-bone interface,which together show the potential of ICA to promote the early-stage tendon-bone healing after rotator cuff reconstruction.