aDepartment of Orthopaedic and Neuro-Musculoskeletal Surgery, Faculty of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences,

Methods: We investigated the effect of application of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 on the tendon-to-bone remodeling of repaired supraspinatus tendon in rats subjected to bilateral detachment. FGF-2 (100 mg/kg) in a fibrin sealant or sealant alone was applied on the right and left shoulders, respectively. Twelve animals each at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after surgery were sacrificed for histological analysis (n 5) and biomechanical Q1 testing (n 7). Results: Histologically, at 2 weeks, FGF-treated specimens had significantly higher tendon-to-bone inser-tion maturing scores then untreated specimens (P <.002). At 4 and 6 weeks, the scores of FGF-treated and untreated specimens were similar (P>.05). Biomechanically, FGF-treated specimens were stronger at 2 weeks (P .001); at 4 and 6 weeks, both specimens exhibited similar strength (P>.05). Conclusions: The initial tendon-to-bone remodeling was accelerated by a local application of FGF-2. This may represent a clinically important improvement in rotator cuff repair