Doxycycline Promotes Graft Healing and Attenuates Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in a Rat Model

Background: Doxycycline (Doxy) has been shown to facilitate tendon healing by reducing on-site matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, but its effect on graft healing after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) has not been investigated, and the therapeutic effect of Doxy in preventing ACLR-induced posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is unclear. Hypothesis: Doxy promotes graft healing and alleviates the progression of PTOA after ACLR. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Sprague Dawley rats (n = 74; age, 12-13 weeks; male) that underwent ACLR were divided into untreated control and Doxy treatment (50 mg/kg/d orally until sacrifice) groups. At 2 and 6 weeks after surgery, graft healing was assessed by biomechanical testing, histology, immunohistochemical staining, and micro–computed tomography (μCT). The progression of PTOA was evaluated at 6 weeks by histology, the Mankin score, and immunofluorescence staining of the tibial plateau, and osteophyte formation was evaluated by μCT. Hindlimb weight distribution was evaluated at 6 weeks, and gait patterns were evaluated at 2 and 6 weeks. Intra-articular MMP activity was evaluated at 6 weeks in vivo using an MMP-activatable near-infrared fluorescent probe. Results: Graft healing was enhanced by Doxy treatment, and the ultimate failure load ( P = .002) and stiffness of the graft ( P = .007) were significantly higher in the Doxy group at week 2. Bone mineral density and bone volume/total volume for both the tibial and the femoral tunnels at week 6 in the Doxy group were significantly higher compared with in the control group ( P < .05). The overall graft healing scores were significantly higher in the Doxy group. Doxy treatment enhanced graft integration, intratunnel graft integrity, and collagen birefringence; more collagen types 1 and 10 and less MMP-13 were found at the graft-bone interface. At week 6, the Doxy group had a lower modified Mankin score ( P = .033) and showed fewer MMP 13–positive chondrocytes at the articular cartilage surface ( P = .002), indicating moderate joint cartilage damage. μCT revealed less osteophyte formation, and gait analysis revealed more symmetric weightbearing and gait patterns, after Doxy treatment at week 6 ( P < .05). In vivo imaging with the near-infrared fluorescent probe identified significantly lower intra-articular MMP activity in the Doxy group at week 6 ( P = .016). Conclusion: The oral administration of Doxy was able to synchronously promote graft healing and attenuate PTOA in an ACLR rat model. Clinical Relevance: Our results indicated that Doxy, a widely used drug, is potentially beneficial to patients after ACLR.