Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2024, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (21): 3385-3392.doi: 10.12307/2024.601

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Applicable techniques for subchondral separation of femoral head necrosis treated by tissue engineering

Huang Yixuan, Chen Hao, Xue Peng, Xi Hongzhong, He Shuai, Sun Guangquan, Du Bin, Liu Xin   

  1. Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Received:2023-05-19 Accepted:2023-07-20 Online:2024-07-28 Published:2023-09-28
  • Contact: Liu Xin, Attending physician, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China Du Bin, Doctoral supervisor, Chief physician, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
  • About author:Huang Yixuan, Master candidate, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Project), No. 82074471 (to DB); National Natural Science Foundation of China (Youth Fund), No. 81804117 (to LX)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The appearance of the crescent sign in femoral head necrosis is a “turning point” in the progression of the disease, and repairing and stabilizing the bone-cartilage interface is particularly important in preventing further progression and collapse of the femoral head. Tissue engineering offers potential advantages in the simultaneous repair and integration of the bone-cartilage interface.  
OBJECTIVE: To review potentially suitable techniques addressing the subchondral separation in femoral head necrosis. 
METHODS: Relevant articles from January 1970 to April 2023 were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) using English search terms “femoral head necrosis, avascular necrosis of femoral head, osteonecrosis of femoral head” and Chinese search terms “femoral head necrosis, subchondral bone, cartilage, integration of cartilage and subchondral bone”. A total of 114 articles were included for review and analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Structural defects, ischemic and hypoxic environment, inflammatory factors, and stress concentration may cause subchondral separation in osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Subchondral bone collapse and failure of hip-preserving surgery may be associated. Integration of tissue engineering scaffolds with the bone-cartilage interface is one potential approach for treating subchondral separation in osteonecrosis of the femoral head. (2) Current literature suggests that multiphase scaffolds, gradient scaffolds, and composite materials have shown improvements in promoting cell adhesion, proliferation, and deposition of bone and cartilage matrix. These advancements aid in the integration of scaffolds with the bone-cartilage interface and have implications for the treatment of subchondral separation in osteonecrosis of the femoral head. (3) Surface modifications of scaffolds can enhance interface integration efficiency, but they have their advantages and disadvantages. Scaffolds providing different environments can induce differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and facilitate integration between different interfaces. (4) Future scaffolds for subchondral separation in osteonecrosis of the femoral head are expected to be composite materials with gradient and differentiated biomimetic structures. Surface modifications and stem cell loading can promote integration between the bone-cartilage interface and scaffolds for therapeutic purposes, but further experimental verification is still needed. Challenges include synchronizing scaffold degradation rate with repair progress and ensuring stability between different interfaces.

Key words: femoral head necrosis, crescent sign, subchondral separation, bone-cartilage interface, bone-cartilage tissue engineering, interface integration, composite material, biomimetic scaffold, surface modification, mesenchymal stem cell

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