Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The repair of articular cartilage remains one of the most challenging topics in orthopedic research. Tissue engineering may be a promising way to restore functional hyaline cartilage of joints. Scaffold is one of the main elements in tissue engineering.
OBJECTIVE: To prepare human articular cartilage-derived sponge so as to provide a novel cartilage tissue engineering scaffold.
METHODS: Human articular cartilage-derived sponge was prepared using human articular cartilage. Human articular cartilage derived sponge was investigated by scanning electron microscope. Its porosity was detected by mercury intrusion porosimetry, and average pore diameter was determined by using scanning electron microscope image analysis system.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Human articular cartilage-derived sponge presented with good anti-discreteness, with 100-  200 μm pore diameter and 92% porosity. Human articular cartilage derived-sponge possessed the characteristics that afford it as a potential scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering.