2011 Volume 35 Issue 3 Pages 829-832
Cartilage plays an important role in the restructure of tendon to bone interfaces after rotator cuff repair. In this study, we targeted the cells derived from human rotator cuff and investigated whether they have the potential for chondrogenic differentiation. The edges of the rotator cuff were harvested from patients who had sustained a rotator cuff tear and underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The harvested rotator cuff was minced, and the cells were cultured in monolayer culture. Flow cytometric analyses were performed using monoclonal antibodies. To induce chondrogenesis, a pellet culture was performed for three-dimensional culture for 3 weeks. About 2.5x105 cells were spun in serum free ITS-medium containing dexamethasone, ascorbate, proline, recombinant BMP-6 and TGF-β3. Chondrogenic differentiation was determined by gene expression using RT-PCR technique, histological and immunohistochemical analyses. Flow cytometric analyses showed positive immunoreactivities for CD29, 44, 105, 166. The other tested markers were negative. After 3 weeks the cells showed a chondrogenic differentiation as evidenced by expression of type II and X collagen in the RT-PCR analyses and the immunohistochemistry. These results showed that the cells derived from human rotator cuff have the potential for chondrogenic differentiation like the bone marrow stem cells. It is suggested that human rotator cuff derived cells have the possibility of participation in the restructure of tendon to bone interfaces.
