MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, International Research Center for X Polymers, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of the third Hospital Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Rui'an 325200, China.
Biomater Sci. 2023 Apr 11;11(8):2924-2934. doi: 10.1039/d2bm02148j.
Osteochondral tissue involves cartilage, calcified cartilage and subchondral bone. These tissues differ significantly in chemical compositions, structures, mechanical properties and cellular compositions. Therefore, the repairing materials face different osteochondral tissue regeneration needs and rates. In this study, we fabricated an osteochondral tissue-inspired triphasic material, which was composed of a poly(lactide--glycolide) (PLGA) scaffold loaded with fibrin hydrogel, bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) for cartilage tissue, a bilayer poly(L-lactide--caprolactone) (PLCL)-fibrous membrane loaded with chondroitin sulfate and bioactive glass, respectively, for calcified cartilage, and a 3D-printed calcium silicate ceramic scaffold for subchondral bone. The triphasic scaffold was press-fitted into the osteochondral defects in rabbit (cylindrical defects with a diameter of 4 mm and a depth of 4 mm) and minipig knee joints (cylindrical defects with a diameter of 10 mm and a depth of 6 mm). The μ-CT and histological analysis showed that the triphasic scaffold was partly degraded, and significantly promoted the regeneration of hyaline cartilage after they were implanted . The superficial cartilage showed good recovery and uniformity. The calcified cartilage layer (CCL) fibrous membrane was in favor of a better cartilage regeneration morphology, a continuous cartilage structure and less fibrocartilage tissue formation. The bone tissue grew into the material, while the CCL membrane limited bone overgrowth. The newly generated osteochondral tissues were well integrated with the surrounding tissues too.
软骨组织包括软骨、钙化软骨和软骨下骨。这些组织在化学成分、结构、力学性能和细胞组成上有很大的不同。因此，修复材料面临着不同的软骨组织再生需求和速度。在这项研究中，我们制备了一种模仿软骨组织的三相材料，它由负载纤维蛋白水凝胶、骨髓基质细胞（BMSCs）和转化生长因子-β1（TGF-β1）的聚（乳酸-乙醇酸）（PLGA）支架、负载硫酸软骨素和生物活性玻璃的双层聚（L-乳酸-己内酯）（PLCL）纤维膜和 3D 打印硅酸钙陶瓷支架组成，分别用于软骨组织、钙化软骨和软骨下骨。三相支架被压入兔（直径 4mm、深度 4mm 的圆柱形缺损）和小型猪膝关节（直径 10mm、深度 6mm 的圆柱形缺损）的骨软骨缺损部位。μ-CT 和组织学分析表明，三相支架部分降解，并显著促进了透明软骨的再生。浅层软骨恢复良好，均匀性好。钙化软骨层（CCL）纤维膜有利于更好的软骨再生形态、连续的软骨结构和较少的纤维软骨组织形成。骨组织长入材料中，而 CCL 膜限制了骨过度生长。新生成的骨软骨组织与周围组织也很好地整合在一起。
