  Tendon and ligament injuries are debilitating conditions across species. Poor
regenerative capacities of these tissues limit restoration of original
functions. The first study of this dissertation evaluated the effect of
cellular administration on tendon/ligament injuries in horses using
meta-analysis. The findings led to the second study that engineered implantable
de novo tendon neotissue using equine adipose-derived multipotent stromal cells
and collagen type I. The neotendon was evaluated for its biocompatibility and
therapeutic potential in the third study using immunocompetent and
immunocompromised rat bilateral calcaneal tendon elongation model. The fourth
study investigated the therapeutic effects of neotendon in surgically-induced
non-terminal equine accessory ligament of deep digital flexor tendon injury
model.
