[Structure design examinations of three-dimensional textile scaffolds employed for tissue engineering in vitro: a...

Postoperative apical growth of epithelium on teeth is a common complication of surgical periodontal therapy. Absorbable textile scaffolds, placed between the operated tooth and its nearby tissues, are considered to serve as a mechanical barrier and prevent undesired apical epithelial growth. They allow local regeneration and new formation of human gingival fibroblasts when the scaffolds are colonized with autologous cells. The aim of this study was to examine proliferation behavior of human gingival fibroblasts on polyglycolic acid (PGA) fleeces with various structural characteristics. The characteristics of the PGA fleeces varied as follows: thickness (1.0-5.0 mm), porosity (85-98%), area mass (56.6-166.9 g/m(2)), and texture. Proliferation of incorporated autologous cells was analyzed by determining the number of live cells, the total absorbed protein, and the degree of cell proliferation. Textile PGA fleeces seem to be suitable as scaffold structures for human gingival fibroblasts. Results showed that structural parameters of fleeces have a significant influence on cell proliferation. Our results showed that a fleece made from knit-de-knit fibers with a porosity of 90% and a thickness of 1.5 mm was most suitable as a scaffold structure and had the highest cell proliferation rate and was superior to fleeces with other structural characteristics.