Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Treatment of Ligament Constructs with Exercise-conditioned Serum: A Translational Tissue Engineering Model
Published on: June 11, 2017
Role of osteoblast-fibroblast interactions in the formation of the ligament-to-bone interface
I-Ning E Wang1, Jing Shan, Rene Choi
1Biomaterials and Interface Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 1210 Amsterdam Avenue, 351 Engineering Terrace Building, MC 8904, New York, New York 10027, USA.
Abstract:
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) inserts into bone through a characteristic fibrocartilagenous interface, which is essential for load transfer between soft and hard tissues. This multi-tissue interface is lost post ACL reconstruction, and the lack of an anatomic fibrocartilage interface between graft and bone remains the leading cause of graft failure. Currently, the mechanism of interface formation is not known. As a fibrocartilage-like tissue is found within the bone tunnel post ACL reconstruction, we hypothesize that fibroblast-osteoblast interactions at the graft-to-bone junction play a role in fibrocartilage formation. To test this hypothesis, a co-culture model permitting osteoblast-fibroblast communications was used to determine the effects of heterotypic interactions on cell phenotype and the development of fibrocartilage-relevant markers in vitro. It was found that co-culture decreased cell proliferation and osteoblast-mediated mineralization, while inducing fibroblast-mediated mineralization. Moreover, the expression of interface-relevant markers such as collagen type II and aggrecan were detected. Our findings suggest that osteoblast-fibroblast interactions may lead to cell trans-differentiation and eventual fibrocartilage formation. These results provide new insight into the mechanism of fibrocartilage formation, which are critical for interface tissue engineering and achieving biological fixation of soft tissue grafts to bone.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Bone Remodeling
Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue
Fractures: Bone Repair
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the procedure...
Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification
Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...

