title: Athymic rat model for evaluation of engineered anterior cruciate ligament grafts.
abstract: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is a common ligamentous injury that often requires surgery because the ACL does not heal well without intervention. Current treatment strategies include ligament reconstruction with either autograft or allograft, which each have their associated limitations. Thus, there is interest in designing a tissue-engineered graft for use in ACL reconstruction. We describe the fabrication of an electrospun polymer graft for use in ACL tissue engineering. This polycaprolactone graft is biocompatible, biodegradable, porous, and is comprised of aligned fibers. Because an animal model is necessary to evaluate such a graft, this paper describes an intra-articular athymic rat model of ACL reconstruction that can be used to evaluate engineered grafts, including those seeded with xenogeneic cells. Representative histology and biomechanical testing results at 16 weeks postoperatively are presented, with grafts tested immediately post-implantation and contralateral native ACLs serving as controls. The present study provides a reproducible animal model with which to evaluate tissue engineered ACL grafts, and demonstrates the potential of a regenerative medicine approach to treatment of ACL rupture.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California Los Angeles; NLeong@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors: Natalie L
authors: NL
authors: Leong
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California Los Angeles.
authors: Nima
authors: N
authors: Kabir
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California Los Angeles.
authors: Armin
authors: A
authors: Arshi
authors: Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles.
authors: Azadeh
authors: A
authors: Nazemi
authors: Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles.
authors: Ben M
authors: BM
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California Los Angeles.
authors: David R
authors: DR
authors: McAllister
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California Los Angeles.
authors: Frank A
authors: FA
authors: Petrigliano
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery*; D059549:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction / Q000379:methods*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D023421:Models, Animal; D011091:Polyesters; D051381:Rats; D011923:Rats, Nude; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D019737:Transplants
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone