In Vivo Study of Ligament-Bone Healing after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Autologous Tendons with Mesenchymal Stem Cells Affinity Peptide Conjugated Electrospun Nanofibrous Scaffold
Figure 3
Pictures showing rabbit ACL reconstruction surgery procedure and gross morphology of reconstructed ACL at 3 months after surgery. Hamstring tendon grafts were harvested from both two knees of each rabbit (a). PLLA scaffold or PLLA scaffold with E7 peptide conjugation was wrapped at two ends of tendons in PLLA reconstruction group and BIO reconstruction group (b) and braided with nylon thread (c). The right knee joint of each rabbit was exposed and original ACL was removed. Bone tunnels were made from the ACL femur attachment sites to the lateral femoral condyles (d), as well as from the ACL tibial attachment sites to the medial tibia (e). After placing the transplants into two bone tunnels, both two ends were fixed by bone bridge (f). At 90 degree flexion of knee joint, both reconstructed ACL and cartilage of femoral condyle could be exposed in control group (g), PLLA reconstruction group (h), and BIO reconstruction group (i).
