Abstract
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of human recombinant epidermal growth factor in
the healing of rotator cuff tear in the rabbit shoulder.
Methods Rotator cuff tears (RCTs) were experimentally created on both shoulders of 20 New
Zealand rabbits. The rabbits were divided into the following groups: RCT (sham group;
n = 5), RCT + EGF (EGF group; n = 5), RCT + transosseous repair (repair group; n = 5), and RCT + EGF + transosseous repair (combined repair + EGF group; n = 5). All rabbits were then observed for 3 weeks, and biopsies were taken from the
right shoulders in the third week. After three more weeks of observation, all rabbits
were sacrificed, and a biopsy removed from their left shoulders. All biopsy material
was stained with haematoxylin & eosin (H&E) and vascularity, cellularity, the proportion
of fibers and the number of fibrocartilage cells were evaluated under light microscope.
Results The highest collagen amount and the most regular collagen sequence was detected in
the combined repair + EGF group. The repair group and the EGF group showed higher
fibroblastic activity and capillary formation when compared with the sham group, but
the highest fibroblastic activity and capillary formation with highest vascularity
was detected in the combined repair + EGF group (p < 0.001). EGF seems to improve wound healing in the repair of RCT. The EGF application
alone, even without repair surgery, seems to be beneficial to RCT healing.
Conclusion In addition to rotator cuff tear repair, application of human recombinant epidermal
growth factor has an effect on rotator cuff healing in rabbit shoulders.
Keywords
rotator cuff injuries - wound healing - epidermal growth factor
