Novel matrix based anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) regeneration

Abstract

Among the five ligaments in the knee the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is among the most important for stability and also the most commonly injured. Due to a lack of vascularization, the ACL has poor healing potential, therefore moderate to severe damage warrants medical intervention. Ligaments are complex, highly organized tissues; they are longitudinally arranged with a great deal of order that begins at the molecular level and carries through to the tissue level. The components of the ligament and their location and orientation heavily influence the tissue's mechanical behavior. ACL replacements have faced a variety of limitations that prevented their extensive use, including implant fatigue or fraying of the device. In the face of these problems, investigators have begun to examine a variety of matrix based techniques to create options for ACL repair, replacement, and regeneration. This article will discuss ACL structure and mechanics, past replacement options and their limitations, and recent tissue engineered options for ACL repair. These techniques employ a wide variety of designs, materials, and methods to heal damaged ACL tissue or regenerate lost tissue in order to regain full ACL strength and mechanics.

Poly (lactic acid)-based biomaterials for orthopaedic regenerative engineering

“…Due to the avascular nature of ACL and the high failure rates, primary repair by surgical suturing is currently not preferred, and ACL reconstruction using auto- and allo-grafts are the most preferred techniques to treat ACL tear [242]. Similar to bone regeneration, significant issues with auto- and allografts necessitates investigation of biomaterial based strategies for ACL regeneration [243]. …”

Design and application of ‘J-shaped’ stress–strain behavior in stretchable electronics: a review

“…Many biological tissues, such as skin 29, 30 , ligaments 31 , spider silk 32, 33 , blood vessel 34, 35 , etc., exhibit ‘J-shaped’ stress–strain behaviors 36 as depicted in Figure 1a 29 , as a result of their curved and chained microstructures (e.g., collagen triple helix, collagen fibril, collagen fiber in Figure 1a). This type of stress-strain response is typically characterized by three different stages.…”

Biodegradable polymer nanocomposites for ligament/tendon tissue engineering

“…Pore interconnectivity throughout an implant favors the distribution of nutrients, cell migration, metabolic waste removal and the tissue ingrowth, enhancing its regenerative properties [6,20]. The long-term clinical success of scaffold also requires biocompatibility [6,14] which is the ability of a material to perform with an appropriate host response in a desired application.…”