A Novel 3D Scaffold Method by Electrospinning Technique for Ligament Tissue Engineering

Ligament injury is very common in knee, especially anterior cruicate ligament (ACL). When ACL broke, it does not repair spontaneously. The surgery is often required to implant a replacement such as artificial ligaments or scaffolds made by tissue engineering concept.ells in nanoscale scaffolds express better characteristics than in other structures. Ligament cells in alignment substrate will secrete more relative extra cellular matrix (ECM).[17] The electrospinning technology can provide both nanocsale and alignment structure. However, the disadvantages of electrospinning are that the scaffold is just a thin film and the pore size is too small to allow cell passage. A new modified method has been proposed in this study to fabricate an aligned scaffold structure for thicker size and improved cellular entry.e put a non conductive PMMA on the aluminum foil and upon the PMMA is an 1.5x1.5 mm2 iron or PMMA net. The new apparatus combine with chitosan in electrospinning can fabricate 3-D aligned micro/nanofibrous structure. When using the iron net, the mean fiber diameters of 500-800 μm and the height of 3 mm. While using the PMMA net, the mean fiber diameters of 35-50 μm and the height of 3mm. The equipment can also be applied to other materials, such as polycaprolactone (PCL). When the PMMA net of 3×3 mm2, the fibers height increase from 3 mm to 5 mm. But the nanofibrous structure also formed with particles. he chitosan scaffolds were crosslinked by 6.25% glutaraldehyde steam for 8 hour, then neutralized with NaOH. The ligament cells were seeded on the scaffolds. And cultured for 5 days, the morphology of cells were spindle shape and these cells aligned along the nanofibrous structure. The scaffold designed in the study provided a proper environment for ligament cells.