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Updated: Apr 23, 2026
Murine Flexor Tendon Injury and Repair Surgery
Published on: September 19, 2016
Development of a mouse model of supraspinatus tendon insertion site healing
Rebecca Bell1, Peter Taub, Paul Cagle
1Leni and Peter W. May Department of Orthopaedics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, 10029, New York.
Abstract:
Supraspinatus (SS) tendon tears are common musculoskeletal injuries whose surgical repair exhibits the highest incidence of re-tear of any tendon. Development of therapeutics for improving SS tendon healing is impaired by the lack of a model that allows biological perturbations to identify mechanisms that underlie ineffective healing. The objective of this study was to develop a mouse model of supraspinatus insertion site healing by creating a reproducible SS tendon detachment and surgical repair which can be applied to a wide array of inbred mouse strains and genetic mutants. Anatomical and structural analyses confirmed that the rotator cuff of the mouse is similar to that of human, including the presence of a coracoacromial (CA) arch and an insertion site that exhibits a fibrocartilagenous transition zone. The surgical repair was successfully conducted on seven strains of mice that are commonly used in Orthopaedic Research suggesting that the procedure can be applied to most inbred strains and genetic mutants. The quality of the repair was confirmed with histology through 14 days after surgery in two mouse strains that represent the variation in mouse strains evaluated. The developed mouse model will allow us to investigate mechanisms involved in insertion site healing.
Insights
Researchers developed a novel mouse model for studying supraspinatus (SS) tendon healing after surgical repair. This model enables investigation into the biological mechanisms underlying common SS tendon re-tears.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic Research
- Musculoskeletal Biology
- Tendon Healing
Background:
- Supraspinatus (SS) tendon tears are frequent musculoskeletal injuries.
- Surgical repair of SS tears has a high re-tear rate, hindering therapeutic development.
- A suitable animal model is needed to study SS tendon healing mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a reproducible mouse model for supraspinatus insertion site healing.
- To create a model applicable to various inbred mouse strains and genetic mutants.
- To facilitate the investigation of biological perturbations affecting SS tendon healing.
Main Methods:
- Created a reproducible supraspinatus tendon detachment and surgical repair model in mice.
- Performed anatomical and structural analyses to compare mouse and human rotator cuff.
- Validated the surgical procedure across seven common mouse strains and assessed repair quality via histology.
Main Results:
- The mouse rotator cuff anatomy, including the coracoacromial (CA) arch and fibrocartilagenous transition zone, mirrors human anatomy.
- The surgical repair technique was successfully applied to seven mouse strains.
- Histological analysis confirmed the quality of repair up to 14 days post-surgery in evaluated mouse strains.
Conclusions:
- A validated mouse model for supraspinatus insertion site healing has been established.
- This model allows for the study of biological mechanisms underlying SS tendon healing and re-tears.
- The model's applicability across multiple mouse strains supports its utility for genetic studies.
