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Tissue Engineering of Tendon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

Y. Caoa ,
J. P. Vacanti ,
P. X. Ma ,
C. Ibarra ,
K.T. Paige ,
J. Upton ,
R. Langer  and
C. A. Vacanti
Y. Caoa
Affiliation:
Department. of Anesthesia, Laboratory for Tissue Engineering, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA 01655
J. P. Vacanti
Affiliation:
Department. of Surgery, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School (HMS), Boston, MA 02115
P. X. Ma
Affiliation:
Department. of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
C. Ibarra
Affiliation:
Department. of Surgery, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School (HMS), Boston, MA 02115
K.T. Paige
Affiliation:
Department. of Surgery, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School (HMS), Boston, MA 02115
J. Upton
Affiliation:
Department. of Surgery, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School (HMS), Boston, MA 02115
R. Langer
Affiliation:
Department. of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
C. A. Vacanti
Affiliation:
Department. of Anesthesia, Laboratory for Tissue Engineering, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA 01655
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Abstract

We studied the feasibility of creating new tissue engineered tendons, using bovine tendon fibroblasts (tenocytes) attached to synthetic biodegradable polymer scaffolds in athymic mice. Calffore- and hind-limbs were obtained from a local slaughterhouse within 6 hours of sacrifice. Tenocytes were isolated from the calf tendons. Cells were seeded onto an array of fibers composed of polymer (PGA) configured either as a random mesh of fibers, or as an array of parallel fibers. Fifty cell-polymer constructs were implanted subcutaneously in athymic mice and harvested at 3, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks. Grossly, all excised specimens resembled the tendons from which the cells had been isolated. Histologic sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson's trichrome showed cells arranged longitudinally within parallel collagen fibers in the periphery. Centrally, collagen fibers were more randomly arranged, although they seemed to attain a parallel arrangement of cells and fibers over time. By 10 weeks, specimens showed very similar histologic characteristics to normal tendon. Histologically, 12-week samples were virtually identical to normal tendon. When longitudinal polymer fibers seeded with cell had been implanted, the collagen fibers seen in the neo-tendons became organized at an earlier interval of time. Biomechanical tests demonstrated linear increase in tensile strength of the neo-tendons over time. Eight-week specimens showed 30% the tensile strength of normal tendon samples of similar size. By 12 weeks, tensile strength was already 57% that of normal bovine tendon.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 394: Symposium Z – Polymers in Medicine and Pharmacy , 1995 , 83
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

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