Fabrication of 3D Scaffolds for Tendon Repair Through Biofunctional Inks
摘要
Shoulder rotator cuff tears have a large place among musculoskeletal system injuries. Rotator cuff tendon tears are one of the problems that cause shoulder dysfunction and recurring pain. Anatomical failure of RC repairs has been demonstrated to be 27% after 23 months. Rotator cuff tears are treated surgically using the arthroscopic or mini-open method. For repair, durable ropes attached to the anchor are passed through the tendon and the tendon is fixed to the bone. Thus, tendon bone healing is ensured. The postoperative tendon-bone healing process is a dynamic process that includes inflammation, restoration, and tissue remodeling, and the outcome depends on the interaction between fibroblasts in the tendon tissue layers and osteoblasts and collagens in the bone layers. However, for patients with large-area rotator cuff injuries, factors such as injury site, patient age, injury duration, tendon quality, tendon atrophy and fatty infiltration may cause problems such as implant failure, tendon shearing, and difficulty healing at the tendon-bone interface. As a result, the new fibrous vascular tissue lacks the mineral distribution and continuity of the collagen fiber and cannot return to the original tissue structure and biomechanical properties, leading to failure of rotator cuff repair. Infection occurs at a rate of 4% after shoulder joint operations with the most common infection agents being in the shoulder joint Propionibacterium Acnes and Staphylococcus aureus. In this study we used poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fiber scaffold structures by 3D printing. Current bone tissue engineering studies on PCL scaffolds made using PCL polymer, one of the FDA-approved biodegradable and biocompatible synthetic scaffolds, are quite common today. Because PCL scaffold dissolves better than scaffolds made with other synthetic polymers, has a lower melting point, and thanks to its hydrophilic surface, it enables cells to adhere and increases their proliferation. Cefazolin, which is effective against the two strains mentioned, is given intravenously 1 h before surgery. We have loaded 0.5% cefazolin in the scaffold to reduce the infection rate after shoulder surgery. The natural environment that the extracellular matrix (ECM) produced from bovine tendon will promote cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation—all essential processes for tendon regeneration. Furthermore, the added ECM's biochemical cues encourage the growth of new tendon tissue that closely mimics the original structure. With the prdocution of this scaffold recovery and regenration of the tendon is aimed to be accelerated.