A novel injectable collagen matrix: in vitro characterization and in vivo evaluation

We present here a unique engineered collagen formulation that is injectable and compacts into a porous viscoelastic solid after implantation, achieving completely focal application without cross-linking. This implant provides a cohesive continuously porous matrix, as demonstrated by permeability and compression experiments. Those experiments also provide initial mechanical characterization of the material and establish the ability to modify these essential properties by design. Further, the short-term compaction and long-term stability of the implant in vivo in terms of both physical and histological responses are assessed in an animal model to demonstrate the mechanism of action and long-term persistence of this novel material.