In Silico and In Vivo Studies Detect Functional Repair Mechanisms in a Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Craniofacial Surgery

Background:

• Volumetric muscle loss (VML) in craniofacial muscles remains a significant clinical challenge despite medical progress.
• Current treatments for VML injuries lack sufficient regenerative capacity, leading to functional deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an implantable tissue-engineered construct for craniofacial muscle regeneration.
• To investigate the biomechanical mechanisms underlying VML-induced functional deficits and recovery using computational models.

Main Methods:

• Creation of a tissue-engineered muscle construct dimensionally relevant to unilateral cleft lip repair.
• Preclinical testing of the construct in a VML injury model.
• Development of computational models to analyze biomechanical factors of VML and repair.

Main Results:

• The tissue-engineered construct demonstrated substantial regeneration of craniofacial muscle tissue.
• Significant functional recovery was observed in the preclinical VML injury model post-implantation.
• Computational models provided biomechanical insights into injury and repair mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Implantable tissue-engineered constructs show promise for treating craniofacial VML injuries.
• A combined experimental and computational approach is crucial for understanding VML and developing regenerative strategies.
• This study lays the groundwork for improved regenerative technologies for diverse VML injuries.