Embroidered polymer-collagen hybrid scaffold variants for ligament tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Scaffold properties can be tailored using embroidery techniques for improved biomechanical performance.
• Integrating collagen into scaffolds may promote neo-tissue formation by anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) cells.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate embroidered polylactide-co-caprolactone [P(LA-CL)] and polydioxanone (PDS) scaffolds as hybrid scaffolds with collagen for ACL tissue engineering.
• To assess the impact of different collagen formulations (hydrogel, sponge, foam) on ACL cell behavior on these scaffolds.

Main Methods:

• ACL cells were cultured on embroidered P(LA-CL) and PDS scaffolds, with and without collagen supplementation.
• Analysis included cell adherence, vitality, morphology, and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis.

Main Results:

• P(LA-CL) scaffolds supported better ACL cell adherence and spreading compared to PDS scaffolds.
• Collagen hydrogel showed limited colonization due to instability; collagen sponge hindered cell penetration.
• Collagen foam improved colonization on P(LA-CL) scaffolds but did not enhance cell-thread contact on PDS scaffolds.

Conclusions:

• Embroidered P(LA-CL) scaffolds are more promising for ACL tissue engineering than PDS scaffolds due to superior cell attachment.
• Collagen foam supplementation represents a viable strategy for functionalizing P(LA-CL) scaffolds in ligament regeneration.