An experimental fatigue study of a porous scaffold for the regeneration of articular cartilage

The aim of this experimental study is to predict the long-term mechanical behavior of a porous scaffold implanted in a cartilage defect for tissue engineering purpose. Fatigue studies were performed by up to 100,000 unconfined compression cycles in a polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold with highly inter...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Vikingsson, Line Karina Alva, Gómez-Tejedor, José-Antonio|||0000-0001-6854-0829, Gallego-Ferrer, Gloria|||0000-0002-2428-0903, Gómez Ribelles, José Luís|||0000-0001-9099-0885
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repositorio:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Idioma:español
OAI Identifier:oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/64126
Acceso en línea:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/64126
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Tissue engineering
Scaffolds
Mechanical properties of biomaterials
Fatigue prediction
Cartilage regeneration
Electron Microscopy Service of the UPV
MAQUINAS Y MOTORES TERMICOS
FISICA APLICADA
Descripción
Sumario:The aim of this experimental study is to predict the long-term mechanical behavior of a porous scaffold implanted in a cartilage defect for tissue engineering purpose. Fatigue studies were performed by up to 100,000 unconfined compression cycles in a polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold with highly interconnected pores architecture. The scaffold compliance, stress strain response and hysteresis energy have been measured after different number of fatigue cycles, while the morphology has been observed by scanning electron microscopy at the same fatigue times. To simulate the growing tissue in the scaffold/tissue construct, the scaffold was filled with an aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and subjected to repeating cycles of freezing and thawing that increase the hydrogel stiffness. Fatigue studies show that the mechanical loading provokes failure of the dry scaffold at a smaller number of deformation cycles than when it is immersed in water, and also that 100,000 compressive dynamic cycles do not affect the scaffold/gel construct. This shows the stability of the scaffold implanted in a chondral defect and gives a realistic simulation of the mechanical performance from implantation of the empty scaffold to regeneration of the new tissue inside the scaffold's pores.