Abstract |
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is difficult to heal after injury due to the dynamic fluid environment of joint. Previously, we have achieved satisfactory regeneration of subcutaneous tendon/ligament with knitted silk- collagen sponge scaffold due to its specific "internal-space-preservation" property. This study aims to investigate the long-term effects of knitted silk- collagen sponge scaffold on ACL regeneration and osteoarthritis prevention. The knitted silk- collagen sponge scaffold was fabricated and implanted into a rabbit ACL injury model. The knitted silk- collagen sponge scaffold was found to enhance migration and adhesion of spindle-shaped cells into the scaffold at 2 months post-surgery. After 6 months, ACL treated with the knitted silk- collagen sponge scaffold exhibited increased expression of ligament genes and better microstructural morphology. After 18 months, the knitted silk- collagen sponge scaffold-treated group had more mature ligament structure and direct ligament-to-bone healing. Implanted knitted silk- collagen sponge scaffolds degraded much more slowly compared to subcutaneous implantation. Furthermore, the knitted silk- collagen sponge scaffold effectively protected joint surface cartilage and preserved joint space for up to 18 months post-surgery. These findings thus demonstrated that the knitted silk- collagen sponge scaffold can regenerate functional ACL and prevent osteoarthritis in the long-term, suggesting its clinical use as a functional bioscaffold for ACL reconstruction.
|
Authors | Weiliang Shen, Xiao Chen, Yejun Hu, Zi Yin, Ting Zhu, Jiajie Hu, Jialin Chen, Zefeng Zheng, Wei Zhang, Jisheng Ran, Boon Chin Heng, Junfeng Ji, Weishan Chen, Hong-Wei Ouyang |
Journal | Biomaterials
(Biomaterials)
Vol. 35
Issue 28
Pg. 8154-63
(Sep 2014)
ISSN: 1878-5905 [Electronic] Netherlands |
PMID | 24974007
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
|
Copyright | Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Chemical References |
- Biocompatible Materials
- Silk
- Collagen
|
Topics |
- Animals
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
(methods)
- Biocompatible Materials
(chemistry)
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Bombyx
- Cell Proliferation
- Collagen
(chemistry)
- Ligaments
- Materials Testing
- Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
- Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
- Osteoarthritis
(prevention & control)
- Rabbits
- Silk
(chemistry)
- X-Ray Microtomography
|