title: Degradation behavior of, and tissue response to photo-crosslinked poly(trimethylene carbonate) networks.
abstract: Photo-crosslinked networks prepared from three-armed methacrylate functionalized PTMC oligomers (PTMC-tMA macromers) are attractive materials for developing an anatomically correct meniscus scaffold. In this study, we evaluated cell specific biocompatibility, in vitro and in vivo degradation behavior of, and tissue response to, such PTMC networks. By evaluating PTMC networks prepared from PTMC-tMA macromers of different molecular weights, we were able to assess the effect of macromer molecular weight on the degradation rate of the PTMC network obtained after photo-crosslinking. Three photo-crosslinked networks with different crosslinking densities were prepared using PTMC-tMA macromers with molecular weights 13.3, 17.8, and 26.7 kg/mol. Good cell biocompatibility was demonstrated in a proliferation assay with synovium derived cells. PTMC networks degraded slowly, but statistically significant, both in vitro as well as subcutaneously in rats. Networks prepared from macromers with higher molecular weights demonstrated increased degradation rates compared to networks prepared from initial macromers of lowest molecular weight. The degradation process took place via surface erosion. The PTMC networks showed good tissue tolerance during subcutaneous implantation, to which the tissue response was characterized by the presence of fibrous tissue and encapsulation of the implants. Concluding, we developed cell and tissue biocompatible, photo-crosslinked PTMC networks using PTMC-tMA macromers with relatively high molecular weights. These photo-crosslinked PTMC networks slowly degrade by a surface erosion process. Increasing the crosslinking density of these networks decreases the rate of surface degradation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2823-2832, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. jan.rongen@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Jan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rongen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Bochove
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerjon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hannink
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, W.J. Kolff Institute, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dirk W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Grijpma
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Research Laboratory, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004146:Dioxanes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004146:Dioxanes; D011108:Polymers; C059299:polytrimethylene carbonate
keywords: PTMC; PTMC-tMA; degradation; photo-crosslinking; poly(trimethylene carbonate); poly(trimethylene carbonate)-trimethacrylate; tissue response