Advances in the treatment of rotator cuff lesions by cytokines

Rotator cuff tears are one of the most common shoulder problems that usually require operative treatments. Therapeutic options used to repair ruptured tendons have consisted of suture, autografts, allografts, and synthetic prostheses. Although surgical treatments have improved dramatically up to now, shoulder pathology is still challenging to orthopedic surgery primarily because these injuries often respond poorly to treatment and require prolonged rehabilitation. Recent attention has focused on several biologic pathways which can augment function to tendon healing, consequently leading to the identification of growth factors involved in this process. In this review, we discuss the studies published in these few years about these growth factors and their role in rotator cuff healing.