Many of us have injured a tendon either abruptly during sports activities, or as a result of daily wear-and-tear from overusing them. Torn or strained tendons – most commonly Achilles, flexor, or rotator cuff tendons – can cause persistent pain, and take a long time to heal after surgeries, especially in the elderly. This is not surprising since the brilliant white cords that connect our muscles to our bones have to regenerate their ability to transmit the strong mechanical forces that allow our joints to move.
There is an acute, unmet medical need for more effective therapies to treat tendon injuries. Despite advances in surgical methods, new graft therapies, and more effective rehabilitation, severely injured tendons rarely regain the structural integrity and mechanical strength of healthy tendons, which often places a chronic burden on patients.
