Cartilage engineered in predetermined shapes employing cell transplantation on synthetic biodegradable polymers

Cartilage is often used as structural support tissue for cosmetic repair in plastic and reconstructive surgery. We describe the efficacy of a new approach for the generation of cartilage in predetermined shapes using specially configured biodegradable synthetic polymer devices as delivery vehicles for transplanted cells. Synthetic biodegradable polymer scaffolds were configured in one of four specific shapes, i.e., a triangle, a rectangle, a cross, and a cylinder. The polymer matrices were seeded with freshly isolated bovine articular chondrocytes and then implanted subcutaneously into nude mice. Gross examination of excised specimens 12 weeks after implantation revealed the presence of new hyaline cartilage of approximately the same dimensions as the original construct. This cartilage showed no signs of resorption or overgrowth over the 12-week time course of the experiment. Histologic evaluation using hematoxylin and eosin stains confirmed the presence of normal mature hyaline cartilage in 46 of 48 specimens. These results suggest that cartilage can be created in predetermined shapes and dimensions using cell transplantation on appropriate polymer templates. This technology would be useful in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.