ポリ乳酸 • グリコール酸（ PLG ）スカフォールドを使用した家兎肩腱板再生の試み

抄録

Background: Surgical treatment for massive rotator cuff tear is still challenging. We created a novel poly (D-L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) scaffold using the electrospinning method and evaluated its application in a rabbit rotator cuff defect model.
Methods: Thirty-six Japanese white rabbits were used in this study. Defects of the infraspinatus tendon were created and the PLG scaffolds were implanted. Histological analyses were performed 4, 8, and 16 weeks after the operation, and mechanical evaluations were also performed at 4, 8, and 16 weeks after the operation.
Results: Scaffold fibers remained without dissolution and spindle shaped cells were observed inside the scaffold at 4 weeks postoperatively. At 8 weeks, the PLG scaffold had dissolved and bone formation was observed at the scaffold-bone interface. At 16 weeks, the scaffold-bone interface matured and expression of type II collagen was observed. The ultimate failure load of the treatment group was 28.1 (12.0) N, 71.7 (12.0) N, and 75.3 (18.7) N at 4, 8, and 16 weeks postoperatively, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the normal infraspinatus tendon at 8 and 16 weeks postoperatively.
Conclusion: This novel, cell-free PLG scaffold demonstrated functional rotator cuff regeneration with sufficient mechanical properties in a rabbit rotator cuff defect model.