Cell-based strategies for rotator cuff repair may need to be combined with growth and differentiation factors to achieve effective tendon-to-bone healing.
A biologic solution to the problem of tendon-to-bone healing in the rotator cuff remains elusive. The repair site may lack the cellular and/or molecular signals necessary to induce appropriate differentiation of transplanted cells. Further studies are needed to determine if cell-based strategies need to be combined with growth and differentiation factors to be effective.
Gulotta et al. (2009) studied this question.