Development of a fast curing tissue adhesive for meniscus tear repair

Abstract

Isocyanate-terminated adhesive amphiphilic block copolymers are attractive materials to treat meniscus tears due to their tuneable mechanical properties and good adhesive characteristics. However, a drawback of this class of materials is their relatively long curing time. In this study, we evaluate the use of an amine cross-linker and addition of catalysts as two strategies to accelerate the curing rates of a recently developed biodegradable reactive isocyanate-terminated hyper-branched adhesive block copolymer prepared from polyethylene glycol (PEG), trimethylene carbonate, citric acid and hexamethylene diisocyanate. The curing kinetics of the hyper-branched adhesive alone and in combination with different concentrations of spermidine solutions, and after addition of 2,2-dimorpholinodiethylether (DMDEE) or 1,4-diazabicyclo [2.2.2] octane (DABCO) were determined using FTIR. Additionally, lap-shear adhesion tests using all compositions at various time points were performed. The two most promising compositions of the fast curing adhesives were evaluated in a meniscus bucket handle lesion model and their performance was compared with that of fibrin glue. The results showed that addition of both spermidine and catalysts to the adhesive copolymer can accelerate the curing rate and that firm adhesion can already be achieved after 2 h. The adhesive strength to meniscus tissue of 3.2–3.7 N was considerably higher for the newly developed compositions than for fibrin glue (0.3 N). The proposed combination of an adhesive component and a cross-linking component or catalyst is a promising way to accelerate curing rates of isocyanate-terminated tissue adhesives.

Efficacy of administered mesenchymal stem cells in the initiation and co‐ordination of repair processes by resident disc cells in an ovine (Ovis aries) large destabilizing lesion model of experimental disc degeneration

“…Frog glue has been used to re‐attach infraspinatus tendon in rotator cuff repair, and bucket handle meniscal tears . New Zealand green lipped mussel and barnacle glues also have strong adhesive properties suitable for orthopedic applications, but await commercialisation …”

“…135,136 New Zealand green lipped mussel and barnacle glues also have strong adhesive properties suitable for orthopedic applications, but await commercialisation. [137][138][139][140][141] The low number of cells in the mature AF of advanced stages of senescence exclude them as a suitable cell source for the seeding of scaffolds. MSCs are a useful alternative cell type for annular repair and have been isolated from annular tissues of normal and degenerate…”

Underwater Adhesion of Multiresponsive Complex Coacervates

“…Adhesion in wet and dynamic environments represents a technological challenge, mainly because of the presence of water, which dramatically reduces the performance of commercially available adhesives . Currently, no tissue adhesive has been approved for clinical use that complies with all the requirements, including: easy delivery, fast setting time, strong adhesive and cohesive properties, and biocompatibility . Due to these difficulties, in medicine, adhesive technology has been applied primarily for stopping bleeding and gluing skin externally, while surgical tissue closure and sealing are exclusively performed with sutures and staples .…”

In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization of Biodegradable Reactive Isocyanate‐Terminated Three‐Armed‐ and Hyperbranched Block Copolymeric Tissue Adhesives

“…Curing rate of the adhesive materials should be fast enough to avoid leakage to the surrounding tissue, but at the same time still allow surgeons to properly place it on the tissue surface and make some corrections if necessary. We recently published a study, in which significant increase of the curing rate of isocyanate‐terminated adhesives was achieved by mixing them with amine‐terminated molecules in double‐chamber syringe or addition of a catalyst prior to application . Such strategies need to be implemented before the materials can be used in clinics.…”