Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2011, Vol. 15 ›› Issue (29): 5327-5333.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-8225.2011.29.003

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Repair of rabbit articular cartilage and subchondral defects using porous silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite combined with adipose-derived stromal cells

Ju Gang1, Xu Wei-yuan2, Zhang Ya3, Zhang Xing-xiang2, Yan Fei2, Sha Wei-ping2   

  1. 1Clinical Medical College of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang  212013, Jiangsu Province, China
    2Department of Orthopedics, First People’s Hospital of Zhangjiagang, Zhangjiagang  215600, Jiangsu Province, China
    3Soochow University Affiliated Children’s Hospital, Suzhou  215003, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Received:2011-01-12 Revised:2011-02-28 Online:2011-07-16 Published:2011-07-16
  • Contact: Xu Wei-yuan, Doctor, Professor, Chief physician, Department of Orthopedics, First People’s Hospital of Zhangjiagang, Zhangjiagang 215600, Jiangsu Province, China xwyl43@163.com
  • About author:Ju Gang★, Studying for master’s degree, Clinical Medical College of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu Province, China grantju@126.com

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Silk fibroin/hydroxyapatite (SF/HA) is a good scaffold for three-dimensional culture of cells, and is a common material to repair bone defect with good biocompatibility. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) which can differentiate into bone and cartilage cells are ideal for repairing cartilage defect.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of the repair of articular cartilage and subchondral defects in rabbit knee joints with transforming growth factor-β1 and insulin like growth factor-1 in combination with SF/HA and ADSCs.
METHODS: A total of 56 New Zealand rabbits were selected, and 2 were used for cultures of ADSCs, which were seeded onto SF/HA at a concentration of 3×109/L. The remaining 54 rabbits were used to establish model of articular cartilage and subchondral defects and randomly assigned to composite, simple and blank control groups. The composite and simple groups were respectively implanted with SF/HA/ADSCs scaffold and SF/HA scaffold. The blank control group was not implanted any materials. Repair of defects was observed and compared by gross, imaging and histological observations.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: At 12 weeks, gross observation, CT, MRI and histological observations demonstrated that the articular cartilage and subchondral defects were repaired entirely in composite group. The color of repaired tissues was similar to surrounding cartilage. There was no evidence of the residue of silk fibroin or the infiltration of leukocytes. Defects were repaired partially and repaired with cartilage fibrosa in simple group. However, defects remained unchanged in blank control group. Results showed that SF/HA with ADSCs composite could successfully repair articular cartilage and subchondral defects of a rabbit knee joints and the effect was superior to SF/HA scaffold alone. The method for repairing the full-thickness hyaline cartilage defects and reconstructing anatomical structure and function of joints using SF/HA with ADSCs is feasible and promising to serve as a new biomaterial of osteochondral tissue engineering.

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