Design and assessment of a tissue-engineered model of human phalanges and a small joint.
OBJECTIVE
To develop models of human phalanges and small joints by suturing different cell-polymer constructs that are then implanted in athymic (nude) mice.


METHODS
Models consisted of bovine periosteum, cartilage, and/or tendon cells seeded onto biodegradable polymer scaffolds of either polyglycolic acid (PGA) or copolymers of PGA and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) or poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) and PLLA. Constructs were fabricated to produce a distal phalanx, middle phalanx, or distal interphalangeal joint.


METHODS
Studies of more than 250 harvested implants were conducted at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine.


METHODS
Polymer scaffold, cell type, and implantation time were examined.


METHODS
Tissue-engineered specimens were characterized by histology, transmission electron microscopy, in situ hybridization, laser capture microdissection and qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, magnetic resonance microscopy, and X-ray microtomography.


RESULTS
Over periods to 60 weeks of implantation, constructs developed through vascularity from host mice; formed new cartilage, bone, and/or tendon; expressed characteristic genes of bovine origin, including type I, II and X collagen, osteopontin, aggrecan, biglycan, and bone sialoprotein; secreted corresponding proteins; responded to applied mechanical stimuli; and maintained shapes of human phalanges with small joints.


CONCLUSIONS
Results give insight into construct processes of tissue regeneration and development and suggest more complete tissue-engineered cartilage, bone, and tendon models. These should have significant future scientific and clinical applications in medicine, including their use in plastic surgery, orthopaedics, craniofacial reconstruction, and teratology.
Landis
W J
WJ
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pathology, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, 44272, USA. wjl@neoucom.edu
Jacquet
R
R
Hillyer
J
J
Lowder
E
E
Yanke
A
A
Siperko
L
L
Asamura
S
S
Kusuhara
H
H
Enjo
M
M
Chubinskaya
S
S
Potter
K
K
Isogai
N
N
D000818:Animals; D021522:Bioartificial Organs; D040761:Biomimetic Materials; D001842:Bone and Bones; D002356:Cartilage; D002417:Cattle; D005384:Finger Joint; D050278:Finger Phalanges; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008954:Models, Biological; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011108:Polymers; D013710:Tendons; D023822:Tissue Engineering
D011108:Polymers; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid