An Overview of the Facilitation of Statins to Tendon-bone Healing after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

The Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) helps stabilize the knee joint and support knee movement. When it is torn severely, ACL reconstruction is recommended to patients and after the surgery, tendon-bone healing becomes a problem to face for patients rehabilitation. Statins are usually prescribed as lipid-lowering drugs in clinics, while some studies have revealed that statins have an influence on promoting the tendon-bone healing process. It aims to conclude the promoting ability of statins on tendon-bone healing after ACL reconstruction and provide evidence for future research and clinical application in the field based on existing literature and relevant data. Statins can promote the process of tendon-bone healing in ACL reconstruction both histologically and biomechanically under an appropriate concentration. Studies on relevant fields gave support to the effectiveness of statins in enhancing the healing process at the tendon-bone interface. Moreover, this benefit can be improved when statins are locally administered by approaches combining specific technologies and substances. Further studies focusing on other kinds, optimal dosages and administration means should be carried on in the future.