|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In collaboration with investigators at the Orthopedic Biomechanics Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess, The Sports Medicine Research Lab is investigating the biomechanics of injury repair.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Placement of a collagen-PRP scaffold into a wound site of an intra-articular ligament resulted in the transformation of a non-healing persistent defect into a biologically active healing wound.
The healing process resulted in partial return of wound strength at six weeks to a level expected in a ligament that goes on to heal successfully.
These findings suggest that tissues inside joints can be stimulated to successfully heal if an adequate provisional scaffold substitute is provided.
|
|
|
|
|
|
While histologic improvement in healing was encouraging, one important outcome measure would be restoration of mechanical strength to the tissue.
To test whether the histologic response observed at six weeks corresponded with a return in mechanical strength, an additional pilot experiment was conducted where treated and untreated ligament tensile strengths were measured after six weeks in vivo(1).
|
|
|
|
|
- A significant 40% increase in strength was measured in the treated group
- No significant restoration of ligament strength in the untreated knees for the same time period (Fig. 1)
This increase in strength in the ligaments treated with the collagen-PRP hydrogel is similar to that previously reported in the successfully healing MCL at the six week time point (2).
|
|
|
Fig. 1: Influence of treatment on restoration of ligament strength after injury. In the untreated group, no significant return of strength was observed. In the treated group, a significant increase in strength of 40% was seen in the six week period (denoted by *).
|
|
|
References
1. The central ACL defect as a model for failure of intra-articular healing. Spindler, KP, Murray, MM, Devin, C, Nanney, LB, Davidson, JM. J Orthop Res 2006 Jan 6;24(3):401-406., and
Use of a collagen-platelet rich plasma scaffold to stimulate healing of the ACL. Murray, MM, Spindler, KP, Devin, C, Snyder, BD, Muller, J, Ballard, P, Nanney, LB, Zurakowski, D. J Orthop Res. 2006 Apr;24(4):820-30.
2. Woo SLY, Horibe S, Ohland KJ, Amiel D: The Response of Ligaments to Injury: Healing of the Collateral Ligaments. In: Knee Ligaments: Structure, Function, Injury and Repair. Ed by D Daniel, Raven Press, 1990
|
|
|
|
