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Mechanoactive Scaffold Induces Tendon Remodeling and Expression of Fibrocartilage Markers

  • Symposium: New Approaches to Allograft Transplantation
  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research

Abstract

Biological fixation of soft tissue-based grafts for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction poses a major clinical challenge. The ACL integrates with subchondral bone through a fibrocartilage enthesis, which serves to minimize stress concentrations and enables load transfer between two distinct tissue types. Functional integration thus requires the reestablishment of this fibrocartilage interface on reconstructed ACL grafts. We designed and characterized a novel mechanoactive scaffold based on a composite of poly-α-hydroxyester nanofibers and sintered microspheres; we then used the scaffold to test the hypothesis that scaffold-induced compression of tendon grafts would result in matrix remodeling and the expression of fibrocartilage interface-related markers. Histology coupled with confocal microscopy and biochemical assays were used to evaluate the effects of scaffold-induced compression on tendon matrix collagen distribution, cellularity, proteoglycan content, and gene expression over a 2-week period. Scaffold contraction resulted in over 15% compression of the patellar tendon graft and upregulated the expression of fibrocartilage-related markers such as Type II collagen, aggrecan, and transforming growth factor-β3 (TGF-β3). Additionally, proteoglycan content was higher in the compressed tendon group after 1 day. The data suggest the potential of a mechanoactive scaffold to promote the formation of an anatomic fibrocartilage enthesis on tendon-based ACL reconstruction grafts.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ms. Ciji Rich of the Biomaterials and Interface Tissue Engineering Laboratory at Columbia University for assistance in quantifying nanofiber mesh contraction, as well as Dr. X. Edward Guo of Columbia University for the use of the polarized light microscope for imaging collagen organization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Biomaterials and Interface Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Columbia University, 351 Engineering Terrace Building, MC 8904, 1210 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Jeffrey P. Spalazzi MS, Moira C. Vyner, Matthew T. Jacobs MS, Kristen L. Moffat MS & Helen H. Lu PhD

  2. College of Dental Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Helen H. Lu PhD

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  1. Jeffrey P. Spalazzi MS
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  2. Moira C. Vyner
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  3. Matthew T. Jacobs MS
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Correspondence to Helen H. Lu PhD.

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Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. This study was funded by a research award from the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation.

Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the animal protocol for this investigation and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research.

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Spalazzi, J.P., Vyner, M.C., Jacobs, M.T. et al. Mechanoactive Scaffold Induces Tendon Remodeling and Expression of Fibrocartilage Markers. Clin Orthop Relat Res 466, 1938–1948 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-008-0310-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-008-0310-8

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