The meniscus is divided into three zones according to its vascularity: an external vascularized red-red zone mainly comprising collagen I, a red-white interphase zone mainly comprising collagens I and II, and an internal white-white zone rich in collagen II. Known scaffolds used to treat meniscal injuries do not reflect the chemical composition of the vascular areas of the meniscus. Therefore, in this study, four composite zonal scaffolds (named A, B, C, and D) were developed and characterized; the developed scaffolds exhibited the main chemical components of the external (collagen I), interphase (collagens I/II), and internal (collagen II) zones of the meniscus. Noncomposite scaffolds were also produced (named E), which had the same shape as the composite scaffolds but were entirely made of collagen I. The composite zonal scaffolds were prepared using different concentrations of collagen I and the same concentration of collagen II and were either cross-linked with genipin or not cross-linked. Porous, biodegradable, and hydrophilic scaffolds with an expected chemical composition were obtained. Their pore size was smaller than the size reported for the meniscus substitutes; however, all scaffolds allowed the adhesion and proliferation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) and were not cytotoxic. Data from enzymatic degradation and hADSC proliferation assays were considered for choosing the cross-linked composite scaffolds along with the collagen I scaffold and to test if composite zonal scaffolds seeded with hADSC and cultured with differentiation medium produced fibrocartilage-like tissue different from that formed in noncomposite scaffolds. After 21 days of culture, hADSCs seeded on composite scaffolds afforded an extracellular matrix with aggrecan, whereas hADSCs seeded on noncomposite collagen I scaffolds formed a matrix-like fibrocartilage without aggrecan.
Keywords: collagen composite scaffolds; collagens I and II; meniscal substitutes; tissue engineering.