title: In vivo evaluation of 3-dimensional polycaprolactone scaffolds for cartilage repair in rabbits.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cartilage tissue engineering using synthetic scaffolds allows maintaining mechanical integrity and withstanding stress loads in the body, as well as providing a temporary substrate to which transplanted cells can adhere.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluates the use of polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds for the regeneration of articular cartilage in a rabbit model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five conditions were tested to attempt cartilage repair. To compare spontaneous healing (from subchondral plate bleeding) and healing due to tissue engineering, the experiment considered the use of osteochondral defects (to allow blood flow into the defect site) alone or filled with bare PCL scaffold and the use of PCL-chondrocytes constructs in chondral defects. For the latter condition, 1 series of PCL scaffolds was seeded in vitro with rabbit chondrocytes for 7 days and the cell/scaffold constructs were transplanted into rabbits' articular defects, avoiding compromising the subchondral bone. Cell pellets and bare scaffolds were implanted as controls in a chondral defect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 3 months with PCL scaffolds or cells/PCL constructs, defects were filled with white cartilaginous tissue; integration into the surrounding native cartilage was much better than control (cell pellet). The engineered constructs showed histologically good integration to the subchondral bone and surrounding cartilage with accumulation of extracellular matrix including type II collagen and glycosaminoglycan. The elastic modulus measured in the zone of the defect with the PCL/cells constructs was very similar to that of native cartilage, while that of the pellet-repaired cartilage was much smaller than native cartilage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results are quite promising with respect to the use of PCL scaffolds as aids for the regeneration of articular cartilage using tissue engineering techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Surgery, URFOA, IMIM, RETICEF, Hospital del Mar, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Santos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martinez-Diaz
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garcia-Giralt
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lebourg
authors.forename: Jose-Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gómez-Tejedor
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vila
authors.forename: Enric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caceres
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benito
authors.forename: Manuel Monleón
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Pradas
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Nogues
authors.forename: Jose Luis Gómez
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ribelles
authors.forename: Joan Carles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Monllau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000502:physiology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000032:analysis; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000379:methods*; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D008297:Male; D011091:Polyesters / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011817:Rabbits; D012038:Regeneration; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone