Transplantation of bovine foetal tendon in rabbit flexor tendon

Tendon laceration and rupture are common among large animals. The purpose of this study was to use flexor tendons of foetal calf collected from a slaughterhouse and to transplant them in rabbit flexor tendons experimentally. The tendons of a 6-month-old bovine foetus were collected and preserved in sterile saline solution at 4 oC. About 5 cm of the superficial flexor tendon were resected in 12 rabbits and 5 cm of the bovine embryo flexor tendon were replaced and sutured using 3/0 stainless steel wire in a single locking loop suture pattern. The tendon sheet was sutured over the transplanted tendon completely in the first group (4 rabbits). It was not sutured in the second group (4 rabbits), and in the third group only half of the tendon sheet was sutured over the transplanted tendon (4 rabbits). In the first and second groups the host graft tendon was united firmly, showing no signs of rejection. In the third group there was inflammatory reaction and hypercellularity in three rabbits and with no sign of graft take in the fourth rabbit. It was therefore concluded that using embryonic bovine tendon for reconstruction of severe tendon damage in clinical cases could be helpful.