Tendon Fascicle-Inspired Nanofibrous Scaffold of Polylactic acid/Collagen with Enhanced 3D-Structure and Biomechanical Properties

Sci Rep. 2018 Nov 21;8(1):17167. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-35536-8.

Abstract

Surgical treatment of tendon lesions still yields unsatisfactory clinical outcomes. The use of bioresorbable scaffolds represents a way forward to improve tissue repair. Scaffolds for tendon reconstruction should have a structure mimicking that of the natural tendon, while providing adequate mechanical strength and stiffness. In this paper, electrospun nanofibers of two crosslinked PLLA/Collagen blends (PLLA/Coll-75/25, PLLA/Coll-50/50) were developed and then wrapped in bundles, where the nanofibers are predominantly aligned along the bundles. Bundle morphology was assessed via SEM and high-resolution x-ray computed tomography (XCT). The 0.4-micron resolution in XCT demonstrated a biomimetic morphology of the bundles for all compositions, with a predominant nanofiber alignment and some scatter (50-60% were within 12° from the axis of the bundle), similar to the tendon microstructure. Human fibroblasts seeded on the bundles had increased metabolic activity from day 7 to day 21 of culture. The stiffness, strength and toughness of the bundles are comparable to tendon fascicles, both in the as-spun condition and after crosslinking, with moderate loss of mechanical properties after ageing in PBS (7 and 14 days). PLLA/Coll-75/25 has more desirable mechanical properties such as stiffness and ductility, compared to the PLLA/Coll-50/50. This study confirms the potential to bioengineer tendon fascicles with enhanced 3D structure and biomechanical properties.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bioengineering / methods*
  • Biomechanical Phenomena*
  • Biomimetic Materials / chemistry*
  • Collagen*
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Electrochemical, Scanning
  • Nanofibers / chemistry*
  • Polyesters*
  • Regenerative Medicine / methods
  • Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Polyesters
  • poly(lactide)
  • Collagen