Better Rotator Cuff Repair: A Layered, Super-Strong Scaffold

Ever wondered why healing a rotator cuff is such a big deal? It's because the tendon-bone interface (TBI) has a tough time healing on its own, and that's where retears happen. Scientists are racing to make better repair materials that are strong and can control how the immune system responds to help it heal right. In one recent study, scientists cooked up a new scaffold using silk fibroin and procyanidin. They layered it like a sandwich, with different textures in each layer, to mimic real tissue. Want to know the cool part? This scaffold is super strong and lets cells like osteoblasts stick, grow, and move around fast. Plus, it can tell the immune system to calm down and help those cells instead of hurting them. This new scaffold might be a game-changer for rotator cuff repairs. By making something that's strong and gentle at the same time, we might finally help those tendons heal better.