Editorial Commentary: Evidence for Patch Augmentation of Rotator Cuff Repair Is Weak.

Rotator cuff repair has a substantial failure rate despite various attempts to improve outcome and prevent a retear. Patch augmentation is an intuitively appealing approach to seek to reduce failure rate and improve outcomes for patients. Two main augmentation approaches are used: "on-lay" and "bridging." The literature is heterogeneous, and the best approach is uncertain. The evidence on patch augmentation for rotator cuff repair is both disparate and weak. Large randomized trials and registry data are required to move the field, ensure patient safety, and avoid wasting precious resources.

Chronic inflammation is a feature of Achilles tendinopathy and rupture.

BACKGROUND: Recent investigation of human tissue and cells from positional tendons such as the rotator cuff has clarified the importance of inflammation in the development and progression of tendon disease. These mechanisms remain poorly understood in disease of energy-storing tendons such as the Achilles. Using tissue biopsies from patients, we investigated if inflammation is a feature of Achilles tendinopathy and rupture. METHODS: We studied Achilles tendon biopsies from symptomatic patients with either mid-portion tendinopathy or rupture for evidence of abnormal inflammatory signatures. Tendon-derived stromal cells from healthy hamstring and diseased Achilles were cultured to determine the effects of cytokine treatment on expression of inflammatory markers. RESULTS: Tendinopathic and ruptured Achilles highly expressed CD14+ and CD68+ cells and showed a complex inflammation signature, involving NF-κB, interferon and STAT-6 activation pathways. Interferon markers IRF1 and IRF5 were highly expressed in tendinopathic samples. Achilles ruptures showed increased PTGS2 and interleukin-8 expression. Tendinopathic and ruptured Achilles tissues expressed stromal fibroblast activation markers podoplanin and CD106. Tendon cells isolated from diseased Achilles showed increased expression of pro-inflammatory and stromal fibroblast activation markers after cytokine stimulation compared with healthy hamstring tendon cells. CONCLUSIONS: Tissue and cells derived from tendinopathic and ruptured Achilles tendons show evidence of chronic (non-resolving) inflammation. The energy-storing Achilles shares common cellular and molecular inflammatory mechanisms with functionally distinct rotator cuff positional tendons. Differences seen in the profile of ruptured Achilles are likely to be attributable to a superimposed phase of acute inflammation and neo-vascularisation. Strategies that target chronic inflammation are of potential therapeutic benefit for patients with Achilles tendon disease.

The Effects of Glucocorticoid on Tendon and Tendon Derived Cells.

Glucocorticoids are generally used to relieve pain and/or inflammation in a wide variety of musculoskeletal disorders including osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, tendinopathy and degenerative spine disease. Glucocorticoids reduce tendon derived cell proliferation in vitro and reduce extracellular matrix synthesis both in vitro and in vivo, in particular type I collagen synthesis. Glucocorticoids also appear to result in acute deleterious changes in healthy in vivo tendon including collagen necrosis, collagen disorganisation and inflammatory cell infiltration; while the overall effect of glucocorticoid administration on the mechanical properties of healthy in vivo tendon are generally negative. Overall the existing in vitro and in vivo evidence suggests that glucocorticoids should be used with caution in treating painful tendinopathy. Certainly a real need exists to follow up the long term clinical effects of glucocorticoid in treating tendinopathy, as there is currently a paucity of evidence in this area. However in this context while the short term benefits are clear, glucocorticoids remain a useful treatment option provided they are used in the right patients in sensible moderation.

Are inflammatory cells increased in painful human tendinopathy? A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The role of inflammation in tendinopathy has historically been a subject of significant controversy. Our primary aim was to determine whether inflammatory cell numbers were increased in painful human tendinopathy versus healthy control tendons. Our secondary aim was to assess whether the inflammatory cells had been linked with symptoms or disease stage. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature using the PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines of the Medline database using specific search criteria. Only studies measuring inflammatory cells using specific markers in tissue from human patients with the clinical diagnosis of tendinopathy were included. Inclusion was agreed on by 2 independent researchers on review of abstracts or full-text using specific predetermined criteria. The search yielded 5 articles in total. RESULTS: There were increased numbers of macrophages (4 studies) and mast cells (3 studies) in tendinopathic versus healthy control tissues. One study demonstrated increased numbers of T cells in tendinopathic tissue versus healthy control tendons. There were reduced numbers of T cells (1 study), macrophages (2 studies) and mast cells (2 studies) in torn tendon versus intact tendinopathic tissue. CONCLUSIONS: The existing evidence supports the hypothesis that increased numbers of inflammatory cells are present in pathological tendons. The lack of high-quality quantitative studies in this area demonstrates a clear need for future research to better understand the role of inflammation in tendinopathy.

Glucocorticoids induce specific ion-channel-mediated toxicity in human rotator cuff tendon: a mechanism underpinning the ultimately deleterious effect of steroid injection in tendinopathy?

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoid injection (GCI) and surgical rotator cuff repair are two widely used treatments for rotator cuff tendinopathy. Little is known about the way in which medical and surgical treatments affect the human rotator cuff tendon in vivo. We assessed the histological and immunohistochemical effects of these common treatments on the rotator cuff tendon. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Supraspinatus tendon biopsies were taken before and after treatment from 12 patients undergoing GCI and 8 patients undergoing surgical rotator cuff repair. All patients were symptomatic and none of the patients undergoing local GCI had full thickness tears of the rotator cuff. The tendon tissue was then analysed using histological techniques and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in nuclei count and vascularity after rotator cuff repair and not after GCI (both p=0.008). Hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and cell proliferation were only increased after rotator cuff repair (both p=0.03) and not GCI. The ionotropic N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 1 (NMDAR1) glutamate receptor was only increased after GCI and not rotator cuff repair (p=0.016). An increase in glutamate was seen in both groups following treatment (both p=0.04), while an increase in the receptor metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGluR7) was only seen after rotator cuff repair (p=0.016). CONCLUSIONS: The increases in cell proliferation, vascularity and HIF-1α after surgical rotator cuff repair appear consistent with a proliferative healing response, and these features are not seen after GCI. The increase in the glutamate receptor NMDAR1 after GCI raises concerns about the potential excitotoxic tendon damage that may result from this common treatment.

The peripheral neuronal phenotype is important in the pathogenesis of painful human tendinopathy: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of tendinopathy is complex and incompletely understood. Although significant advances have been made in terms of understanding the pathological changes in both the extracellular matrix and the cells involved, relatively little is known about the role of neuronal regulation in tendinopathy. The frequent mismatch between tendon pathology and pain may be explained, in part, by differences in the peripheral neuronal phenotype of patients. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The primary purpose of this review was to determine whether evidence exists of changes in the peripheral neuronal phenotype in painful human tendinopathy and, if so, to identify the associated histological and molecular changes. The secondary purpose was to determine if any changes in the peripheral neuronal phenotype reported correlate with pain symptoms. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature using the PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines. The Medline and Embase databases were searched using specific search criteria. Only studies analyzing the peripheral tissue of patients with the clinical diagnosis of tendinopathy were included. Inclusion was agreed on by two independent researchers on review of abstracts or full text. RESULTS: Overall in the 27 included studies, there was clear evidence of changes in the peripheral neuronal phenotype in painful human tendinopathy. The excitatory glutaminergic system was significantly upregulated in seven studies, there was a significant increase in sensory neuropeptide expression in four studies, and there were significant changes in the molecular morphology of tenocytes, blood vessels, and nerves. In rotator cuff tendinopathy, substance P has been shown to correlate with pain and the neural density in the subacromial bursa has been shown to correlate with rest pain. CONCLUSIONS: The peripheral neuronal phenotype is an important factor in the pathogenesis of painful human tendinopathy. Further research in this area specifically correlating tissue changes to clinical scores has great potential in further developing our understanding of the disease process.

Why does my shoulder hurt? A review of the neuroanatomical and biochemical basis of shoulder pain.

If a patient asks 'why does my shoulder hurt?' the conversation will quickly turn to scientific theory and sometimes unsubstantiated conjecture. Frequently, the clinician becomes aware of the limits of the scientific basis of their explanation, demonstrating the incompleteness of our understanding of the nature of shoulder pain. This review takes a systematic approach to help answer fundamental questions relating to shoulder pain, with a view to providing insights into future research and novel methods for treating shoulder pain. We shall explore the roles of (1) the peripheral receptors, (2) peripheral pain processing or 'nociception', (3) the spinal cord, (4) the brain, (5) the location of receptors in the shoulder and (6) the neural anatomy of the shoulder. We also consider how these factors might contribute to the variability in the clinical presentation, the diagnosis and the treatment of shoulder pain. In this way we aim to provide an overview of the component parts of the peripheral pain detection system and central pain processing mechanisms in shoulder pain that interact to produce clinical pain.

Trends in the theory that inflammation plays a causal role in tendinopathy: a systematic review and quantitative analysis of published reviews.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The contribution of inflammation to tendinopathy has been debated in the scientific literature. Several factors may contribute to this lack of clarity, including inconsistent definitions of inflammation. We hypothesised that the adoption and/or rejection of a causal link between inflammation and tendinopathy varied as a function of the 'inflammatory component' (eg, immune cell and molecular mediators included in published reviews). METHODS: Twenty data items were collected from each review to determine conclusions about the role of inflammation in tendinopathy, specific definitions of the 'inflammatory component,' quality of the review and other potential correlates. Associations between correlates and a review's conclusion about the role of inflammation in tendinopathy were tested using binomial logistic regression. The database searches retrieved 2261 unique publications: 137 fulfilled inclusion criteria after full text screenings. RESULTS: There has been little support for an inflammatory component to tendinopathy until recently (2012-2015). Prior to 2012, the majority of published reviews did not discuss monocytes, macrophages or lymphocytes in tendinopathy; rather they focused on the lack of neutrophils, often referred to as 'the inflammatory infiltrate', or immune cells were not discussed. Reviews including monocytes and lymphocytes in their discussions were 5.23 times more likely to conclude inflammation was important than reviews that did not, p<0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Data collected show growing support for an inflammatory component to tendinopathy, particularly among high-quality reviews and those that used more robust definitions of inflammation. This finding may have implications for explaining dissonance in the literature regarding a causal role for inflammation in the pathogenesis of tendinopathy.

United Kingdom Frozen Shoulder Trial (UK FROST), multi-centre, randomised, 12 month, parallel group, superiority study to compare the clinical and cost-effectiveness of Early Structured Physiotherapy versus manipulation under anaesthesia versus arthroscopic capsular release for patients referred to secondary care with a primary frozen shoulder: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Frozen shoulder (also known as adhesive capsulitis) occurs when the capsule, or the soft tissue envelope around the ball and socket shoulder joint, becomes scarred and contracted, making the shoulder tight, painful and stiff. It affects around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 10 women of working age. Although this condition can settle with time (typically taking 1 to 3 years), for some people it causes severe symptoms and needs referral to hospital. Our aim is to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of two invasive and costly surgical interventions that are commonly used in secondary care in the National Health Service (NHS) compared with a non-surgical comparator of Early Structured Physiotherapy. METHODS: We will conduct a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of 500 adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of frozen shoulder, and who have radiographs that exclude other pathology. Early Structured Physiotherapy with an intra-articular steroid injection will be compared with manipulation under anaesthesia with a steroid injection or arthroscopic (keyhole) capsular release followed by manipulation. Both surgical interventions will be followed with a programme of post-procedural physiotherapy. These treatments will be undertaken in NHS hospitals across the United Kingdom. The primary outcome and endpoint will be the Oxford Shoulder Score (a patient self-reported assessment of shoulder function) at 12 months. This will also be measured at baseline, 3 and 6 months after randomisation; and on the day that treatment starts and 6 months later. Secondary outcomes include the Disabilities of Arm Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) score, the EQ-5D-5 L score, pain, extent of recovery and complications. We will explore the acceptability of the different treatments to patients and health care professionals using qualitative methods. DISCUSSION: The three treatments being compared are the most frequently used in secondary care in the NHS, but there is uncertainty about which one works best and at what cost. UK FROST is a rigorously designed and adequately powered study to inform clinical decisions for the treatment of this common condition in adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Register, ID: ISRCTN48804508 . Registered on 25 July 2014.

Profibrotic mediators in tendon disease: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Tendon disease is characterized by the development of fibrosis. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß), bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) are key mediators in the pathogenesis of fibrotic disorders. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the evidence for the expression of TGF-ß, BMPs and CTGF along tendon disease progression and the response of tendon cells to these growth factors accordingly. METHOD: We conducted a systematic screen of the scientific literature using the Medline database. The search terms used were "tendon AND TGF-ß," "tendon AND BMP" or "tendon AND CTGF." Studies of human samples, animal tendon injury and overuse models were included. RESULTS: Thirty-three studies were included. In eight studies the expression of TGF-ß, BMPs or CTGF was dysregulated in chronic tendinopathy and tendon tear patient tissues in comparison with healthy control tissues. The expression of TGF-ß, BMPs and CTGF was increased and showed temporal changes in expression in tendon tissues from animal injury or overuse models compared with the healthy control (23 studies), but the pattern of upregulation was inconsistent between growth factors and also the type of animal model. No study investigated the differences in the effect of TGF-ß, BMPs or CTGF treatment between patient-derived cells from healthy and diseased tendon tissues. Tendon cells derived from animal models of tendon injury showed increased expression of extracellular matrix protein genes and increased cell signaling response to TGF-ß and BMP treatments compared with the control cells (two studies). CONCLUSION: The expression of TGF-ß, BMPs and CTGF in tendon tissues is altered temporally during healing in animal models of tendon injury or overuse, but the transition during the development of human tendon disease is currently unknown. Findings from this systematic review suggest a potential and compelling role for TGF-ß, BMPs and CTGF in tendon disease; however, there is a paucity of studies analyzing their expression and stimulated cellular response in well-phenotyped human samples. Future work should investigate the dynamic expression of these fibrotic growth factors and their interaction with tendon cells using patient samples at different stages of human tendon disease.

Differences in glutamate receptors and inflammatory cell numbers are associated with the resolution of pain in human rotator cuff tendinopathy.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between peripheral tissue characteristics and pain symptoms in soft tissue inflammation is poorly understood. The primary aim of this study was to determine immunohistochemical differences in tissue obtained from patients with persistent pain and patients who had become pain-free after surgical treatment for rotator cuff tendinopathy. The secondary aim was to investigate whether there would be differences in glutaminergic and inflammatory gene expression between disease-derived and healthy control cells in vitro. METHODS: Supraspinatus tendon biopsies were obtained from nine patients with tendon pain before shoulder surgery and from nine further patients whose pain had resolved completely following shoulder surgery. Histological markers relating to the basic tendon characteristics, inflammation and glutaminergic signalling were quantified by immunohistochemical analysis. Gene expression of glutaminergic and inflammatory markers was determined in tenocyte explants derived from painful rotator cuff tendon tears in a separate cohort of patients and compared to that of explants from healthy control tendons. Dual labelling was performed to identify cell types expressing nociceptive neuromodulators. RESULTS: Tendon samples from patients with persistent pain demonstrated increased levels of metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2), kainate receptor 1 (KA1), protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5), CD206 (macrophage marker) and CD45 (pan-leucocyte marker) versus pain-free controls (p <0.05). NMDAR1 co-localised with CD206-positive cells, whereas PGP9.5 and glutamate were predominantly expressed by resident tendon cells. These results were validated by in vitro increases in the expression of mGluR2, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR1), KA1, CD45, CD206 and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) genes (p <0.05) in disease-derived versus control cells. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that differences in glutamate receptors and inflammatory cell numbers are associated with the resolution of shoulder pain in rotator cuff tendinopathy, and that disease-derived cells exhibit a distinctly different neuro-inflammatory gene expression profile to healthy control cells.

In vitro effects of glutamate and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonism on human tendon derived cells.

It is known that extracellular glutamate concentrations are increased in tendinopathy but the effects of glutamate upon human tendon derived cells are unknown. The primary purpose was to investigate the effect of glutamate exposure on human tendon-derived cells in terms of viability, protein, and gene expression. The second purpose was to assess whether NMDAR antagonism would affect the response of tendon-derived cells to glutamate exposure. Human tendon-derived cells were obtained from supraspinatus tendon tissue obtained during rotator cuff repair (tendon tear derived cells) and from healthy hamstring tendon tissue (control cells). The in vitro impact of glutamate exposure and NMDAR antagonism (MK-801) was measured using the Alamar blue cell viability assay, immunocytochemistry, and quantitative real-time PCR. Glutamate reduced cell viability at 24 h in tendon tear derived cells but not in control cells at concentrations of 7.5 mM and above. Cell viability was significantly reduced after 72 h of 1.875 mM glutamate in both cell groups; this deleterious effect was attenuated by NMDAR antagonism with 10 µM MK-801. Both 24 and 72 h of 1.875 mM glutamate exposure reduced Type 1 alpha 1 collagen (COL1A1) and Type 3 alpha 1 collagen (COL3A1) gene expression, but increased Aggrecan gene expression. We propose that these effects of glutamate on tendon derived cells including reduced cell viability and altered matrix gene expression contribute to the pathogenesis of tendinopathy.

An independent learning method for orthopaedic surgeons performing shoulder ultrasound to identify full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff.

BACKGROUND: There is an evolving interest in shoulder ultrasound performed by orthopaedic surgeons as part of routine clinical assessment of the rotator cuff in a so-called one-stop clinic. This study investigated the accuracy of ultrasound assessment of rotator cuff integrity performed by orthopaedic surgeons without prior experience of ultrasound who were following our proposed learning protocol. METHODS: We studied four surgeons without previous experience with shoulder ultrasound and monitored their ability to evaluate rotator cuff integrity using ultrasound compared with findings at arthroscopy. The surgeons attended a formal training course and were taught a protocol to identify and size full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. The surgeons performed preoperative scans on the day that patients underwent shoulder arthroscopy. This allowed the surgeons to receive same-day feedback with comparison of arthroscopic images and ultrasound images. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-nine shoulders were scanned by the surgeons in the study. In the initial training period, surgeons who performed >100 scans demonstrated a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 88% (a positive predictive value of 79% and a negative predictive value of 97%) for the identification of a full-thickness tear and agreed with intraoperative sizing of the defect in 84% of the scans. In the later training period, the predictive values showed a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 97% (a positive predictive value of 95% and a negative predictive value of 94%) for the identification of a full-thickness tear and agreement with intraoperative sizing for 95% of the scans. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive values obtained in this study for the evaluation of rotator cuff integrity were comparable with published results from experienced radiologists. This study demonstrates the capacity of our proposed learning protocol to train surgeons without previous ultrasound experience to reliably evaluate rotator cuff integrity using ultrasound within fifty to 100 scans.