Abstract
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most prone to injury in the human body. Due to its insufficient vascularization and low regenerative capacity, surgery is often required when it is ruptured. Most of the current tissue engineering (TE) strategies are based on scaffolds produced with fibers due to the natural ligament’s fibrous structure. In the present work, composite filaments based on poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) reinforced with graphite nanoplatelets (PLA+EG) as received, chemically functionalized (PLA+f-EG), or functionalized and decorated with silver nanoparticles [PLA+((f-EG)+Ag)] were produced by melt mixing, ensuring good filler dispersion. These filaments were produced with diameters of 0.25 mm and 1.75 mm for textile-engineered and 3D-printed ligament scaffolds, respectively. The resulting composite filaments are thermally stable, and the incorporation of graphite increases the stiffness of the composites and decreases the electrical resistivity, as compared to PLA. None of the filaments suffered significant degradation after 27 days. The composite filaments were processed into 3D scaffolds with finely controlled dimensions and porosity by textile-engineered and additive fabrication techniques, demonstrating their potential for ligament TE applications.
Highlights
IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
The aim of this work is the production by melt processing of composite filaments based on poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) reinforced with graphite nanoplatelets, as received, chemically functionalized, and decorated with silver nanoparticles, whilst ensuring good dispersion of the various fillers
The storage modulus of the composite filaments is approximately 3 GPa or greater at 37 ◦ C, with tan δ values higher than those observed for PLA filaments, indicating that the addition of functionalized graphite increases the stiffness of the composites and provides a higher capacity to dissipate energy and damping
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Ligaments are formed by dense collagenous tissues that connect bones, allowing body motion and assuring joint stability, and are constantly exposed to mechanical loadings [1,2]. Adult ligaments exhibit poor healing capacity and limited vascularization [2]. Injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are common and frequent in the young and physically active population [1,3], and often require surgical intervention [3]. The recurring complications of current grafts have prompted a growing interest in the development of novel materials and tissue-engineered (TE) solutions for ACL reconstruction [4]
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