Adhesion and integration of tissue engineered cartilage to porous polyethylene for composite ear reconstruction

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the ability of tissue engineered cartilage to adhere to and integrate with porous polyethylene (PPE) in vivo and to evaluate the biomechanical integrity of the bond formed at the interface. Porcine auricular, articular, and costal chondrocytes were suspended in fibrin gel polymer and placed between discs of PPE to form tri-layer constructs. Controls consisted of fibroblasts suspended in gel or gel alone between the discs. Constructs were implanted into nude mice for 6, 12, and 18 weeks. Upon harvest, specimens were evaluated for neocartilage formation and integration into the PPE, using histological, dimensional (mass, thickness, diameter), and biomechanical (adhesion strength, interfacial stiffness, failure energy and failure strain) analyses. Neotissue was formed in all experimental constructs, consisting mostly of neocartilage integrating with discs of PPE. Control samples contained only fibrous tissue. Biomechanical analyses demonstrated that adhesion strength, interfacial stiffness, and failure energy were all significantly higher in the chondrocyte-seeded samples than in fibroblast-seeded controls, with the exception of costal constructs at 12 weeks, which were not significantly greater than controls. In general, failure strains did not vary between groups. In conclusion, porous polyethylene supported the growth of neocartilage that formed mechanically functional bonds with the PPE.

Mechanical and biochemical mapping of human auricular cartilage for reliable assessment of tissue-engineered constructs

“…In literature, reports of quantitative mechanics for TE constructs are given for confined compression (Chang et al, 2003;Reiffel et al, 2013), unconfined compression (Ting et al, 1998) and tension (Isogai et al, 2005;O'Sullivan et al, 2014). While no comparison can be made with tension, the indentation results in this study E eq compare well with compressive equilibrium or apparent modulus in literature.…”

Total Ear Reconstruction Using Porous Polyethylene

“…19 Porous polyethylene can also be used as a skeletal framework for tissue engineered-cartilage to adhere and integrate into. O'Sullivan et al 30 demonstrated that porous polyethylene with surrounding porcine auricular chondrocytes showed consistent neocartilage integration. The tensile strength of the auricle made from this neocartilage-enforced Medpor framework was superior to that of a normal Medporreconstructed auricle.…”

“…The tensile strength of the auricle made from this neocartilage-enforced Medpor framework was superior to that of a normal Medporreconstructed auricle. 30…”

Tissue engineering applications in otolaryngology—The state of translation

“…Heatmap representing the proportion of publications by year that utilized specific translational research methodologies from construct characterization to human trial to investigate otologic tissue engineering 15,25‐35,38‐43,45,46,107‐144 …”