The human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is ruptured over 200,000 times per year (or an incidence of 1 in 3000) in the United States, resulting in over $1 billion of medical expenses. The gold standard for surgical repair is the patellar tendon autograft, but this treatment is far from optimal due to lengthy recovery time, potential for developing arthritis, associated donor site morbidity, and degenerative joint disease. These limitations have prompted the need for a tissue engineered solution. This study proposes to use a multidisciplinary approach to provide a fundamental understanding of the design and fabrication of a scaffold (a temporary structure made of a biodegradable polymer that facilitates the growth of cells and tissue) that mimics and facilitates the development of the four tissue types found in the ACL structure. Students will be involved in the research, and several courses will benefit from the knowledge generated by this project.
The human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is ruptured over 200,000 times per year (or an incidence of 1 in 3000) in the United States, resulting in over $1 billion of medical expenses. The conventional surgical repair involves autografting the patellar tendon autograft, however shortcomings of this approach include long recovery time, potential for developing arthritis, associated donor site morbidity, and degenerative joint disease. These limitations underscore the need for a tissue engineered solution. This study proposes to use a multidisciplinary approach which provides a fundamental understanding of the evolution of a hierarchical, spatially organized 2-dimensional biomimetic scaffold designed to facilitate the development of the four tissue types found in a ligament-to-bone interface. The objectives of this study are: To utilize inkjet printing to prepare hierarchical, spatially organized structures that can be used for bone-ligament interfaces; to characterize the morphology, composition, mechanical behavior and immunochemistry across the bone-to-ligament interface; and to understand the material-cell interactions across the gradient structure. The fundamental knowledge gained from this study will significantly impact the engineering of bone-ligament interfaces and other applications where gradient structures are present. Program resources will be leveraged with the existing REU program at Alabama State University and the NSF/Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program (LSAMP), to maximize the involvement of undergraduate students from underrepresented groups. Several courses will benefit from knowledge generated from the research, and students involved will have opportunities to present their research at national and regional conferences.
