Bonding and Fusion of Meniscus Fibrocartilage Using a Novel Chondroitin Sulfate Bone Marrow Tissue Adhesive

Abstract

The weak intrinsic meniscus healing response and technical challenges associated with meniscus repair contribute to a high rate of repair failures and meniscectomies. Given this limited healing response, the development of biologically active adjuncts to meniscal repair may hold the key to improving meniscal repair success rates. This study demonstrates the development of a bone marrow (BM) adhesive that binds, stabilizes, and stimulates fusion at the interface of meniscus tissues. Hydrogels containing several chondroitin sulfate (CS) adhesive levels (30, 50, and 70 mg/mL) and BM levels (30%, 50%, and 70%) were formed to investigate the effects of these components on hydrogel mechanics, bovine meniscal fibrochondrocyte viability, proliferation, matrix production, and migration ability in vitro. The BM content positively and significantly affected fibrochondrocyte viability, proliferation, and migration, while the CS content positively and significantly affected adhesive strength (ranged from 60 -17 kPa to 335 -88 kPa) and matrix production. Selected material formulations were translated to a subcutaneous model of meniscal fusion using adhered bovine meniscus explants implanted in athymic rats and evaluated over a 3-month time course. Fusion of adhered meniscus occurred in only the material containing the highest BM content. The technology can serve to mechanically stabilize the tissue repair interface and stimulate tissue regeneration across the injury site.

Comparative Potential of Juvenile and Adult Human Articular Chondrocytes for Cartilage Tissue Formation in Three-Dimensional Biomimetic Hydrogels

“…The incorporation of CS in the hydrogel composition enables enzymatic degradation by cell-secreted chondroitinase and has been shown to enhance MSC chondrogenesis. 20 It can also be chemically modified to enhance tissue-biomaterial integration during cartilage repair, 39,40 and may serve as a potential scaffolding material for cell delivery.…”

3D Hydrogel Scaffolds for Articular Chondrocyte Culture and Cartilage Generation

“…In addition, CS has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in the arthritic joint. The biomimetic hydrogel may also be used as a scaffolding material for cell delivery in cartilage repair, and may be chemically modified to facilitate better tissue-biomaterial integration 17,18 .…”

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Postoperative Meniscus

“…71 Numerous other substances also may promote healing of fibrocartilage, but specific MR imaging findings are not widely reported. Such agents include platelet-rich plasma, bioadhesives such as those containing chondroitin sulfate, 72 numerous growth factors such as myoblasts expressing recombinant cartilage-derived morphogenetic protein 2, 73 and scaffolds such as gelatin hydrogel scaffold. 74,75 Not all surgical techniques are successful, 76 and MR imaging refinements may allow for objective, noninvasive diagnostic evaluation of surgical techniques at anatomic, cellular, and biochemical levels.…”