Abstract
In the treatment of anterior cruciate ligament rupture, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is performed using autologous tendon. However, there are problems in the invasiveness and limitation in the source of autologous tendon. In order to solve these problems, a decellularized and sterilized bovine tendon has been developed. The aim of this study is to investigate cell infiltration into the decellularized and sterilized bovine tendon in rat anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. In 4 and 26 weeks after the implantation, the tissues were explanted and subjected to hematoxylin-eosin staining. In this study, rat autologous tendon were also implanted to compare cell infiltration into the reconstructed tissues between the decellularized and sterilized bovine tendon and rat autologous tendon In the implantation period of 4 weeks, the number of cells in the decellularized and sterilized bovine tendon was higher than that in the rat autologous tendon In the implantation period of 26 weeks, the number of cells in the decellularized and sterilized bovine tendon and that in the rat autologous tendon became comparable. In the implantation period of 26 weeks, the number of cells in the decellularized and sterilized bovine tendon and that in rat anterior cruciate ligament also became comparable. These data indicated that the decellularized and sterilized bovine tendon has a promise as a prosthesis for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
