Development and Characterization of Tyramine Substituted-Hyaluronan (TS-HA) Enriched Fascia for Rotator Cuff Repair

The failure rate of rotator cuff repair is reportedly as high as 70%. Several commercially available extracellular matrices are indicated for augmentation of rotator cuff repair. However, none has yet demonstrated both the appropriate biological milieu and mechanical properties for tendon healing. We are interested in fascia lata for its tendon-like mechanical properties. We propose modulating inflammation by enriching fascia lata with high molecular weight hyaluronan (HA), a molecule well known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Of particular interest is tyramine-substituted hyaluronan (TS-HA), i.e., HA substituted with tyramine adducts to allow cross-linking between chains. The extent to which TS-HA treatment affects the mechanical properties of fascia lata is not known. The objectives of this study are to develop and characterize TS-HA enriched fascia lata and to investigate the hypothesis that TS-HA treatment does not significantly decrease the mechanical properties of fascia.