The effect of cartilage extracellular matrix particle size on the chondrogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

To investigate the effect of cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) particle size on the chondrogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). BMSCs were seeded into the scaffolds fabricated by small particle ECM materials and large particle ECM materials. For the positive control, chondrogenically induced BMSCs were seeded into commercial poly-lactic-glycolic acid scaffolds. Macroscopic observation, histological and immunohistochemical staining, mechanical testing and biochemical analysis were performed to the cell-scaffold constructs. BMSCs in small particle ECM materials and poly-lactic-glycolic acid scaffolds were induced to differentiate into chondrocytes, while BMSCs in the large particle ECM materials scaffold did not differentiate into chondrocytes. The small ECM particle materials improved the induction ability of the cartilage ECM-derived scaffold.