Caffeine intake does not appear to impair tendon-to-bone healing strength in a rat rotator cuff repair model

Bradley L. Young, MD; Evan D. Sheppard, MD; Sierra Phillips, MD; Trevor M. Stubbs, MD; Jun Kit He, MD; Andrew Moon, MD; Martim C. Pinto, MD; Gerald McGwin, PhD; Eugene William Brabston, MD; Shawn R. Gilbert, MD; Brent A. Ponce, MD

JSES International (May 2022)

Caffeine intake does not appear to impair tendon-to-bone healing strength in a rat rotator cuff repair model

Bradley L. Young, MD,
Evan D. Sheppard, MD,
Sierra Phillips, MD,
Trevor M. Stubbs, MD,
Jun Kit He, MD,
Andrew Moon, MD,
Martim C. Pinto, MD,
Gerald McGwin, PhD,
Eugene William Brabston, MD,
Shawn R. Gilbert, MD,
Brent A. Ponce, MD

Affiliations

Bradley L. Young, MD: Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, USA; Corresponding author: Bradley L. Young, MD, 1025 Morehead Medical Drive suite # 300, Charlotte, NC 28204, USA.
Evan D. Sheppard, MD: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
Sierra Phillips, MD: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
Trevor M. Stubbs, MD: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
Jun Kit He, MD: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
Andrew Moon, MD: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
Martim C. Pinto, MD: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
Gerald McGwin, PhD: School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
Eugene William Brabston, MD: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
Shawn R. Gilbert, MD: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL, USA
Brent A. Ponce, MD: Hughston Orthopaedic Clinic, Columbus, GA, USA

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6, no. 3
pp. 463 – 467

Abstract

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Background: Tendon-to-bone (TtB) healing is essential for successful rotator cuff repair (RCR). This study aimed to investigate if caffeine intake impaired TtB healing in a rat RCR model. Methods: Seventy-two rats were randomized into a caffeinated group or a noncaffeinated group. Specimens received one week of oral caffeine solution or normal saline before RCR. All rats then underwent bilateral RCR. Caffeination or saline gavages continued until rats were sacrificed at 2, 4, and 8 weeks postoperatively. Load-to-failure (primary outcomes measure), maximum stress, and stiffness of the TtB interface were measured for one shoulder of each specimen. Six random shoulders from each group underwent histological assessment of TtB healing. Results: Load-to-failure and maximum stress of RCR did not appear to differ between groups at any time point. No difference in RCR stiffness was found between groups at 2 and 4 weeks; however, stiffness in the caffeinated group did appear to lower at 8 weeks (P = .04). Conclusion: Perioperative caffeine intake did not appear to affect load-to-failure strength of RCR in an animal model. Although our secondary outcome measures of maximum stress and stiffness also did not appear to be influenced by perioperative caffeine intake, there did appear to be a trend toward decreased RCR stiffness at 8 weeks postoperatively in specimens that received caffeine.

Published in JSES International

ISSN: 2666-6383 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Surgery: Orthopedic surgery; Medicine: Internal medicine: Specialties of internal medicine: Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/jses-international

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