Tendons are ligaments that connect muscle to bone or other structures and the Achilles tendon, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is the largest and biomechanically strongest in the human body and, although it is also considered the strongest ligament, the tendon Achilles is one of the tendons that most frequently breaks in our body, an injury that especially affects athletes between 30 and 40 years old. In many cases, surgery and a long period of rest, immobilization and treatment are required, which can be difficult to cope with.
Seeking to shorten recovery time, a research team led by Katsumasa Nakazawa, a graduate student at Osaka Metropolitan University School of Medicine, along with Associate Professor Hiromitsu Toyoda and Professor Hiroaki Nakamura of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and Professor Jun-Seok Oh of the School of Engineering, has focused on the use of non-thermal plasma at atmospheric pressure as a treatment method.
“We discovered that irradiation with non-thermal plasma at atmospheric pressure promotes the regeneration and healing of tendons, showing that it has applications in a wide range of fields”
This study is the first to demonstrate that irradiation with this type of plasma can accelerate tendon repair. The researchers ruptured and subsequently sutured the Achilles tendon of laboratory rats. For one group of rats, the sutured area was irradiated with a helium plasma jet. The group of rodents that was treated with plasma showed faster regeneration and greater tendon strength at two, four and six weeks after surgery compared to the untreated group. The results have been published in PLOS ONE.
“We had previously discovered that non-thermal plasma irradiation at atmospheric pressure has the effect of promoting bone regeneration. In this study, we discovered that the technology also promotes tendon regeneration and healing, showing that it has applications in a wide range of fields,” Professor Toyoda explained. “Combined with current tendon treatments, it is expected to contribute to more reliable tendon regeneration and shorter treatment time.”
Regarding the possible limitations of the study, the authors themselves indicate in their study that these “include the short observation period of up to six weeks; therefore, a longer observation period should be implemented in future studies. Secondly , the sample size of this study was small. Third, because rat Achilles tendons were used, their anatomical and regenerative characteristics may differ from those of humans, and future studies in large animals are necessary.”
The researchers conclude that “clinical application of the restorative effect of NTAPP in Achilles tendon injuries is expected to shorten the period of bracing and allow an earlier return to sports. “It may also be effective for the treatment of other tendon injuries, and it is hoped that this will be further explored in this context in the future.”
