Enhanced Tendon-to-Bone Healing of Chronic Rotator Cuff Tears by Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate in a Rabbit Model
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Development of a Rabbit Chronic-Like Rotator Cuff Injury Model for Study of Fibrosis and Muscular Fatty Degeneration
Published on: March 31, 2023
Xiao Ning Liu1,2, Cheol-Jung Yang1,3, Ji Eui Kim1
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Background:
To evaluate the influence of bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) on tendon-to-bone healing in a rabbit rotator cuff model and to characterize the composition of growth factors in BMAC.
Methods:
In this in vivo study, 40 rabbits were allocated into five groups: control (C), repair + saline (RS), repair + platelet-rich plasma (PRP; RP), repair + BMAC (RB) and repair + PRP + BMAC (RPB). A tear model was created by supraspinatus tendon transection at the footprint. Six weeks after transection, the torn tendon was repaired along with BMAC or PRP administration. Six weeks after repair, shoulder samples were harvested for biomechanical and histological testing. Ten rabbits were used for processing PRP and BMAC, followed by analysis of blood cell composition and the levels of growth factors in vitro.
Results:
The ultimate load-to-failure was significantly higher in RPB group compared to RS group (p = 0.025). BMAC-treated groups showed higher values of biomechanical properties than RS group. The histology of BMAC-treated samples showed better collagen fiber continuity and orientation than RS group. BMAC contained significantly higher levels of the several growth factors than PRP.
Conclusions:
Locally administered BMAC enhanced tendon-to-bone healing and has potential for clinical applications.
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