Self-powered wearable electrical stimulation patch with integrated triboelectric nanogenerator for tendinopathy treatment

Tendinopathy is a common musculoskeletal disease for which researchers have proposed various treatments but with limited efficacy. Here, we propose a self-powered wearable electrical stimulation (ES) patch with an integrated triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) for tendinopathy treatment. The ES patch comprises a freeze-dried PVDF-TrFE/PA6 TENG and a pair of interdigital electrodes (IDTs). The bionically designed ES patch is attached directly to affected tendons. It undergoes deformation and friction during movement and generates pulsed electric output, which is then converted into an electric field via the IDTs to treat tendinopathy. In vitro experiments showed that the self-powered ES patch greatly increased mitochondrial function in degenerative tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) and promoted tenogenesis. In vivo experiments revealed that the ES patch significantly improved the gait motor function of tendinopathy rats, boosted collagen regeneration, and drastically reduced the degree of tissue inflammatory infiltration and recovery time. Our study demonstrated the great potential of wearable electrical stimulation patches for effectively treating tendinopathy.