Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Bearing Sutures for Tendon Repair and Healing in the Foot and Ankle.

Improving the quality and strength of soft tissue repairs remains an important area of orthopedic research and innovation. The need for immobilization and early motion is an important balance essential for the successful treatment of tendon repair and reconstruction. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-bearing sutures represent an emerging biological augmentation to traditional suture repair. Two previous large studies using stem cell sutures in rat Achilles tendon models have demonstrated early increased biomechanical strength and significantly increased ultimate failure strength. The MSCs seem to remain locally at the repair site and enhance the histologic repair quality of the tendon collagen.