The Effect of Fibroblast Growth Factor and Cold Atmospheric Plasma Treatment on Calcaneus Tendon Healing Activity in Rabbits

Tendon recovery after a surgical operation or traumatic injury is still one of the challenges of rehabilitation. Many recently formulated treatments have been designed to improve these procedures. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) on calcaneus tendon healing and regeneration in rabbit models.

This study subdivided 40 mature male New Zealand white rabbits into four groups (n=10 in each). The defect was made under general conditions, and the wound was closed without treatment. The experimental groups included sham (without treatment), bFGF (operated bFGF in the injured area), CAP (used CAP in the injured area), and bFGF/CAP (used both CAP and bFGF) in the injured area. This study used trichrome and reticulin stains to evaluate collagen production and other tissue factors. Also, hydroxyproline levels were measured for better observation of collagen synthesis. Pathological evaluation of the defective tendon was performed on days 60 and 120 after surgery.

The improvement of new and parallel tendon formation was the best in the bFGF/CAP group at both times, especially 120 days after surgery. An increase in hydroxyproline levels was also seen on the sampling days.

The experiment showed that bFGF/CAP combination significantly improved tendon remodeling in the injured areas.