Development of Cell-Seeded Patellar Tendon Allografts for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Development of Ligament-Like Structural Organization and Properties in Cell-Seeded Collagen Scaffolds in vitro

“…This result stands in contrast to other reports that cite extremely low seeding efficiencies (4-15%) when fibroblasts are seeded directly on collagen fiber scaffolds. 8,10,12 Cells remained viable on collagen scaffold/cell-seeded collagen gel composites at all time points in the present study. The number of viable cells on each composite scaffold appeared to increase with time in culture when viewed with the "Live/Dead" stain.…”

An Analysis of Soft Tissue Allograft Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in a Rabbit Model

“…1,28 Other studies also demonstrate that in vitro seeding of autografts with fibroblast improves its biomechanical properties. 6,22 Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used in various orthopaedic applications to enhance tissue healing and in tissue bioengineering. 12,16 Examples include improving healing and biomechanical properties after meniscal repair augmented with MSCs in the white-white zone of a meniscal injury and improved osteointegration in ACL reconstructions using autografts treated with MSCs.…”

Reprint of: Extracellular matrix as a biological scaffold material: Structure and function

“…For example, the collagen fibers within a ligament or tendon are highly aligned along the long axis of the tissue to provide the greatest resistance to strain in a load-bearing application. Thus, the use of ECM derived from tendons and ligaments is a logical choice for repair of structures, such as the anterior cruciate ligament [17,39,40]. The small intestinal submucosa also has a characteristic collagen fiber organization that is related to its native in vivo function.…”

“…Although it seems logical that the decellularization process will by definition affect the structure and composition of the extracellular matrix, the intent of the process is the preservation of as much of the native mechanical properties and biological properties of the original ECM as possible. Some detergents used to facilitate decellularization have been shown to disrupt collagen of certain tissues, thereby decreasing the mechanical strength of the tissue, while the same detergent may have no effect on the collagen in another tissue [17,39]. Studies have shown that removal of GAGs from the scaffold can have a negative effect on viscoelastic behavior of the scaffold, which is not surprising since water retention is one of the major functional characteristics of GAGs within a tissue [54].…”