Augmentation of tendon healing with butyric acid-impregnated sutures: biomechanical evaluation in a rabbit model.

Background: Butyric acid (BA) has been shown to be angiogenic and to enhance transcriptional activity in tissue. These properties of BA have the potential to augment biological healing of a repaired tendon.

Purpose: To evaluate this possibility both biomechanically and histologically in an animal tendon repair model.