抄録
Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair was developed with advancement in arthroscopic techniques and it was used clinically to treat rotator cuff tears. However, there was little known about postoperative biological healing potential of the rotator cuff tendon. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bone-tendon junction histologically post arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. We evaluated bone-tendon junction histologically with the extracted tissue by needle biopsy at the repaired site of each rotator cuff tear. We used six samples from six patients (five male and one female), who had undergone arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgeries for full-thickness rotator cuff tears and postoperative good clinical results at a minimum 6 months follow-up. The average age at the time of rotator cuff repair surgery was 55.5 years old (38-65 years old). Each sample was fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin. Staining was performed with hematoxylin eosin and toluidine blue. Fibrocartilage formation was observed at the repaired site of the bone-tendon junction in four of six samples (67%). However, they were unlike normal enthesis composed of 4 distinct zones. Fibrous connective tissue interposition without any fibrocartilage formation, was recognized in the other 2 samples (33%).Fibrocartilage formation was observed at the repaired site of bone-tendon junction after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. This indicates that the natural healing potential has remained at the bone-tendon junction of torn rotator cuff tendon.
