Tenocyte activation and regulation of complement factors in response to in vitro cell injury

•We describe an automatized in vitro method to induce reproducible tenocyte injury.•Cell injury led to a significant induction of mitoses in tenocytes.•Gene expression of C3aR in tenocytes was significantly elevated after cell trauma.•CRP expression, but not that of cytokine IL-1β and TNFα increased after cell injury.•The presence of C3a further enhanced injury induced C3aR and CD55 gene expression.