Graphene-based conductive biomaterials for rotator cuff repair: overview and perspective

초록

Rotator cuff tears are caused by complex external and internal factors, such as excessive mechanical stress, repetitive strain, physical trauma, aging, genetic predisposition, and complications. After a tendon tear, the possibility of an intact repair is limited, so one proposed strategy is to use scaffolds. Among the scaffolds used for rotator cuff tears, many recent studies on conductive scaffolds have shown high augmentation, but the exact mechanism has not been conclusively demonstrated in studies so far. Conductive scaffolds can promote tendon-cell differentiation and collagen synthesis, resulting in tendon repair. However, there are three possible risk factors: long-term use of the conductive scaffold, freeoxygen radical expression, and foreign-body reactions to conductive-scaffold fragments. This review provides a new perspective on conductive-scaffold research trends and conductive-scaffold approaches to rotator cuff repair. We also suggest current areas of interest and research directions regarding conductive scaffolds. Although conductive biomaterial- based scaffold-repair strategies to date have been shown to be practical for tendon healing, future research and preclinical and clinical applications should attempt to identify ideal scaffolds for rotator cuff repair.

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