Tissue Eng Regen Med.  2022 Aug;19(4):853-860. 10.1007/s13770-022-00444-6.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Promotes Bone-Tendon Interface Healing in a Rotator Cuff Tear Rat Model

• Yoon JP
• Yoon JW
• Kim HM
• Oh JH

• KMID: 2533920
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s13770-022-00444-6

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is believed to accelerate wound healing, and thus expected to have a positive effect on rotator cuff repair. We hypothesized that SSRI has a positive effect on the healing of the bonetendon interface (BTI), and improved rotator cuff tear healing would be confirmed by mechanical strength measurements and histological assessment of the restored tendon.
METHODS
The study used 40 adult male Sprague–Dawley wild-type rats. The animals were divided into two groups: group-SSRI, the supraspinatus repair with SSRI injection group, and group-C, conventional supraspinatus repair only without SSRI. Biomechanical and histological analyses were performed 8 weeks after index rotator cuff surgery.
RESULTS
The ultimate load (N) was significantly higher in group-SSRI than in group-C (54.8 ± 56.9 Vs 25.1 ± 11.1, p = .031). In the histological evaluation, the Bonar score confirmed significant differences in collagen fiber density (groupC: 0.6 ± 0.5, group-SSRI: 1.1 ± 0.6, p = .024), vascularity (group-C: 0.1 ± 0.2, group-SSRI: 0.3 ± 0.4, p = .024) and cellularity (group-C: 1.7 ± 0.4, group-SSRI: 2.0 ± 0.0, p = .023) between the groups. Based on the total score, groupSSRI was significantly better compared with group-C (6.3 ± 2.7 Vs 4.3 ± 1.9, p = .019).
CONCLUSION
Our study demonstrated that SSRI could facilitate improved biomechanical and histological outcomes 8 weeks after rotator cuff repair in a rat model. Consequently, SSRI may improve healing after rotator cuff repair.

Keyword

Serotonin uptake inhibitors; Anti-inflammatory agents; Histology; Biomechanics; Rotator cuff healing