Whole meniscus regeneration using polymer scaffolds oaded with fibrochondrocytes

• Published in: 中华创伤杂志：英文版 Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 195 - 204
• Main Author: LU Hua-ding CAI Dao-zhang WU Gang WANG Kun SHI De-hai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: 再生利用; 可生物降解; 支架; 板结构; 纤维; 羟基丁酸酯; 聚合物; 软骨细胞
• ISSN: 1008-1275

Objective： To study the feasibility of regenerating a whole menisci using poly-（3- hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate） （PHBV） scaffolds loaded with meniscal cells in rabbits undergoing total meniscectomy, and to explore its protective effect on carti- lage degeneration. Methods： A solvent casting and particulate leaching technique was employed to fabricate biodegradable PHBV scaffolds into a meniscal shape. The proliferated meniscal cells were seeded onto the polymer scaffolds, transplanted into rabbit knee joints whose lateral menisci had been removed. Eight to 18 weeks after transplantation, the rege- nerated neomenisci were evaluated by gross and histologi- cal observations. Cartilage Mankin score. degeneration was assessed by Results： Eighteen weeks after transplantation, the implants formed neomenisci. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining of the neomenisci sections revealed regeneration of fibrocartilage. Type I collagen in the neomenisci was also proved similar to normal meniscal tissue by immunohis-tochemical analysis and Sirius scarlet trinitrophenol staining. Articular cartilage degeneration was observed 8 weeks af- ter implantation. It was less severe as compared with that in total meniscectomy controls and no further degeneration was observed at 18 weeks. At that time, the regenerated neomenisci strongly resembled normal meniscal fibrocarti- lage in gross and histological appearance, and its mechani- cal property was also close to that of normal meniscus. Conclusions： The present study demonstrates the feasibility of tissue-engineering a whole meniscal structure in total meniscectomy rabbit models using biodegradable PHBV scaffolds together with cultured allogeneic meniscal cells. Cartilage degeneration is decreased. But long-term in vivo investigations on the histological structure and cartilage degeneration of the neomenisci regenerated by this method are still necessary to determine the clinical potential of this tissue engineering avenue.