Tendon Adhesion and Novel Solutions

Tendon adhesion refers to the development of fibrotic tissue accumulation between injured tendon and the surrounding tissue, which usually happens as complications after surgical intervention for tendinopathies or traumatic rupture of tendon, resulting in undesired outcomes in the aspects of mechanical properties and functionality. Researches and understanding of tendon adhesion indicate that the process is related to the dominance of extrinsic tendon healing, with important factors such as inflammatory response, cell transference, certain growth factors, mistakenly stimulated signaling pathways and infection, and overdriving tendon remodeling. Taken the advantage of advanced material science and biochemistry, novel biomimetic materials have gradually emerged and been revealed to obtain satisfying antiadhesion capabilities. Taken the advantage of advanced material science and biochemistry, novel strategies, including hydrogels, nanoparticles, nanofibrous membranes, and substitutions for tendon and peritendinous apparatus, have gradually emerged and been revealed to obtain satisfying anti-adhesion capability solely or as drug delivery platforms. Although most of these results are currently limited in vitro or in animal models, future modification of these biosynthetic materials will help gain better mechanical properties and biocompatibility for clinical application. The establishment of next-generation delivery platforms against tendon adhesion requires the crosstalk among multiple fields.