Development of a silk and collagen fiber scaffold for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
The objective of this study was to determine a silk-collagen fiber ratio for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction composite scaffold device. Composite fiber scaffolds with silk volumes ≥14 % and collagen volume <86 % demonstrated comparable or greater initial ultimate tensile stress relative to the human ACL. Silk scaffolds implanted subcutaneously and intraarticularly in rabbits demonstrated an 84 and 92 % reduction in strength with a 26 and 22 % reduction in volume after 8 weeks, respectively. The mechanical degradation findings of this preliminary study suggest that a composite scaffold with an initial UTS value of at least 129 MPa, or roughly a 48:52 silk to collagen volume ratio meets the minimal mechanical requirements necessary to proceed to a functional ACL reconstruction study in vivo.
Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA. epanas@gmail.com
Eleni
E
Panas-Perez
Charles J
CJ
Gatt
Michael G
MG
Dunn
D000818:Animals; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003094:Collagen; D011817:Rabbits; D047011:Silk; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D047011:Silk; D003094:Collagen