Prevention of Achilles tendon adhesion with nano-curcumin: an experimental study in rats

Abstract

Objective To study the effect of nano-curcumin on inhibiting tendon adhesion in a rat Achilles tendon injury model and to investigate the related mechanism. Methods The Achilles tendon was cut and repaired in 72 rats that were randomly divided into 3 groups: the control group (group A), the curcumin group (group B), and the nano-curcumin + laser group (group C). The same dose of normal saline, curcumin and nano-curcumin were applied to the tendon suture site, respectively. At different time points of tendon healing (1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks), the Achilles tendons were harvested and subject to gross morphological observation, histological, biomechanical, and immunohistochemical examinations. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare results from various groups. Results The adhesion score of tendons in the nano-curcumin + laser group in gross morphology was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). Histologically, the inflammatory response score of tendons in the nano-curcumin group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups. Biomechanical tests revealed significantly enhanced tendon gliding distance in the nano-curcumin group comparing to that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Application of nano-curcumin and laser at the tendon repair site can significantly inhibit the early local inflammatory reactions, and prevent tendon adhesion. Key words: Curcumin; Animal experimentation; Tendon adhesion; Nanometer