The early surface cell response to flexor tendon injury

J Hand Surg Am. 2003 Mar;28(2):221-30. doi: 10.1053/jhsu.2003.50044.

Abstract

Purpose: The migratory response of surface fibroblasts to flexor tendon injury was studied by their selective labeling with a vital dye.

Method: The surfaces of 30 rat deep flexor tendons were bathed in 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine percholate (DiI), a vital dye for 5 minutes. The residual dye was removed by thorough irrigation. A partial tenotomy was made in the stained section by cutting out a central window. Semiquantitative cell counts and position of stained fibroblasts were noted by examination under fluorescent light at 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days.

Results: The surface fibroblasts readily took up the vital dye at day 0. By day 1 dyed cells had moved into the cut. By day 3 they had migrated laterally into the core substance of the tendon. Core dyed cell counts at days 1, 3, 5, and 7 were significantly different compared with day 0 core dyed cell counts.

Conclusions: This cell migration from the surface of the cut to the tendon core is likely to be vital in the early stages of tendon healing.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carbocyanines
  • Cell Count
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Hindlimb
  • Histological Techniques
  • Male
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Tendon Injuries / physiopathology*
  • Tendons / physiology*
  • Tendons / ultrastructure
  • Wound Healing / physiology*

Substances

  • Carbocyanines
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • 3,3'-dioctadecylindocarbocyanine