Abstract
Many studies have sought to construct a substitute to partially replace irreparably damaged meniscus. Only the meniscus allograft has been used in clinical practice as a useful substitute, and there are concerns about its longevity and inherent limitations, including availability of donor tissue and possibility of disease transmission. To overcome these limitations, we developed an acellular xenograft from whole porcine meniscus. Samples were treated with 2% Triton X-100 for 10 days and 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate for 6 days. The DNA content of extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds was significantly decreased compared with that of normal porcine menisci (p < 0.001). Histological analysis confirmed the maintenance of ECM integrity and anisotropic architecture in the absence of nuclei. Biochemical and biomechanical assays of the scaffolds indicated the preservation of collagen (p = 0.806), glycosaminoglycan (p = 0.188), and biomechanical properties (elastic modulus and transition stress). The scaffolds possessed good biocompatibility and supported bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) proliferation for 2 weeks in vitro, with excellent region-specific recellularization in vivo. The novel scaffold has potential value for application in recellularization and transplantation strategies.
Highlights
The meniscus of the knee is fibrocartilaginous in nature, with an organized arrangement of collagenous fibers
Gross inspection (Figure 2A) revealed that the decellularization process did not change the general shape of the menisci
Compared with the Normal menisci (NM) (Figure 2Ca), the decellularized menisci (DM) (Figure 2Cb) was free of cell nuclei, and the collagenous fibers were well preserved with much loose arrangement, since loosening agent was used to make decellularization easier
Summary
The meniscus of the knee is fibrocartilaginous in nature, with an organized arrangement of collagenous fibers. The main functions of human menisci are load transmission, stress distribution, stability, and lubrication of the joint, which collectively prevent cartilage damage (Stapleton et al, 2011). Damage or degeneration of the meniscus is usually followed by loss of these functions and development of knee arthritis (Ding et al, 2007). Meniscus lesion repair has always been a great challenge in orthopaedic surgery because of its limited vascularization and capacity for self-regeneration. When damage involves the non-vascularized areas, meniscus preservation or restoration is difficult to achieve. Development of novel therapeutic methods for meniscus repair is both timely and necessary (Maier et al, 2007)
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