Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2012, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (20): 3685-3689.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-8225.2012.20.017

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Establishment of a rotator cuff tear model in rabbits and its preliminary histological study

Li Feng-long1, Jiang Chun-yan1, Lu Yi1, Li Guang-ping3, Lu Yao-jia2   

  1. 1Department of Sports Medicine, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing  100035, China; 2Department of Orthopedics, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital, Yangzhou  225001, Jiangsu Province, China; 3Beijing Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Beijing  100035, China
  • Received:2011-12-07 Revised:2012-03-03 Online:2012-05-13 Published:2012-05-13
  • Contact: Lu Yao-jia, Doctor, Department of Orthopedics, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital, Yangzhou 225001, Jiangsu Province, China yao10jia13lu@163.com
  • About author:Li Feng-long☆, Doctor, Department of Sports Medicine, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing 100035, China long_bmu@163.com
  • Supported by:

    the Capital Medicine Research and Development Foundation, No. 2009-2062*; The Training Project of High-Level Health Personnel of Beijing Health System, No. 2009-3-16* 

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The modal and structural characteristics of supraspinatus in rabbits are similar to human. In the rotator cuff of rabbits there are tendon-bone transitional zones similar to human, and it is appropriate to investigate the tendon-bone healing aspects with a rabbit model. 
OBJECTIVE: To establish an animal model of rotator cuff tear in rabbits and to investigate the feasibility of this model followed by the initial histological study. 
METHODS: Supraspinatus tenotomy was performed in the right shoulder of 18 skeletally matured male New Zealand white rabbits to establish the animal model of rotator cuff tear. The rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: repair group, repaired at 1 week after tenotomy; control group, without repair. The rabbits were sacrificed at 2, 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively in each group with three rabbits sacrificed at each time point. Fatty infiltration of supraspinatus and healing of tendon-bone interface were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The gross anatomy and histological characteristics of the supraspinatus in rabbits were similar to human. The animal model provided a stable surgical approach which ensured a highly replicable procedure in the establishment of rotator cuff tear/repair models. There was no obvious fatty infiltration or muscle atrophy in the supraspinatus in both groups. At 8 weeks after repair, we observed the formation of a new enthesis of supraspinatus in the repair group. There was no new enthesis of supraspinatus in the control group. The rabbit is suitable to establish an animal model of rotator cuff tears. The animal model designed in this study could be used in the research of rotator cuff tears. For the acute supraspinatus tear, formation of a new enthesis can be observed at 8 weeks after repair.

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