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Regenerative & Precision Medicine 2016
December 1-2, 2016
Volume 7, Issue 3(Suppl) J Tissue Sci Eng
ISSN: 2157-7552 JTSE, an open access journal
conferenceseries .com
December 1-2, 2016 | San Antonio, USA
Global Congress on
Tissue Engineering, Regenerative &
Precision Medicine
Notes:
Thomas Nau et al., J Tissue Sci Eng 2016, 7:3(Suppl)
ACL regeneration and osteointegration using a new silk fiber-based scaffold: Results from a study
in sheep
Thomas Nau, Andreas Teuschl, Patrick Heimel, Stefan Tangl, Silvia Nuerrnberger and Heinz Redl
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Austria
Introduction: Because of ongoing limitations with ACL reconstruction, new approaches in the treatment of ACL injuries,
in particular strategies based on tissue engineering have gained increasing research interest. To allow ACL regeneration, a
structured scaffold which provides the mechanical basis, cells from different sources and mechanical as well as biological
factors are needed. The optimal scaffold for ACL regeneration is regarded to be biocompatible and biodegradable to allow
tissue ingrowth, but also needs to have the right mechanical properties to provide immediate mechanical stability.
Hypothesis: A degradable silk-fiber based scaffold with mechanical properties similar to the native ACL is able to initiate
ligament regeneration and osteointegration after ACL resection and reconstruction under in vivo conditions.
Methods: 33 mountain sheep underwent ACL resection and randomization to two experimental groups: ACL reconstruction
with scaffold alone (SA) and ACL reconstruction with cell-seeded scaffold (CS). Histological evaluation of the intra-articular
portion of the reconstructed/regenerated ligament was performed after 6 and 12 months. Additional bone histology was
performed to assess osteointegration.
Results: After six months, connective tissue surrounded the silk scaffold with ingrowth in some areas. The cell seeded scaffolds
had significant lower silk content compared to the unseeded scaffolds and demonstrated higher content of newly formed tissue.
After 12 months, the density of the silk fibers decreased significantly and the ingrowth of newly formed tissue increased in
both groups. No differences between the two groups regarding the silk fiber degradation as well as the regenerated tissue were
detected anymore at 12 months. Bone histology revealed good osteointegration after 12 months.
Conclusions: The novel silk-fiber based scaffold was able to stimulate ACL regeneration as well as osteointegration under in
vivo conditions. Additional cell seeding lead to increased tissue regeneration and decreased silk-fiber content after 6 months,
whereas these differences diminished after 12 months.
Biography
Thomas Nau has completed his MD from Karl-Franzens University Graz, Austria and his Specialist Orthopedic Trauma training at the Medical University of Vienna,
Austria. He is an Adjunct Professor at the LBI for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration where he is directing the bone
and ligament regeneration group.