Chondrocyte Generation of Cartilage‐Like Tissue Following Photoencapsulation in Methacrylated Polysaccharide Solution Blends

Chondrocyte‐seeded, photo‐cross‐linked hydrogels prepared from solutions containing 50% mass fractions of methacrylated glycol chitosan or methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MHA) with methacrylated chondroitin sulfate (MCS) are cultured in vitro under static conditions over 35 d to assess their suitability for load‐bearing soft tissue repair. The photo‐cross‐linked hydrogels have initial equilibrium moduli between 100 and 300 kPa, but only the MHAMCS hydrogels retain an approximately constant modulus (264 ± 5 kPa) throughout the culture period. Visually, the seeded chondrocytes in the MHAMCS hydrogels are well distributed with an apparent constant viability in culture. Multicellular aggregates are surrounded by cartilaginous matrix, which contain aggrecan and collagen II. Thus, co‐cross‐linked MCS and MHA hydrogels may be suited for use in an articular cartilage or nucleus pulposus repair applications.

     

兔膝关节软骨及软骨下骨的吡啶诺林的高效液相色谱测定

兔膝关节炎模型的关节软骨及软骨下骨 ,经盐酸水解 ,纤维素CF11分离吡啶诺林 (Pyr) ,高效液相色谱测定其含量 ;采用 μBondapakC18 柱 (10μm,3.9mm×300mm) ,以V 乙腈∶V 水[0.5 %(φ)七氟正丁酸]=25∶75为流动相,荧光检测器在λem 和λex 分别为390nm和297nm的条件下测定Pyr;在0.250～6.00μmol/L的范围内 ,Pyr含量与峰面积有良好的线性关系 ,r=0.9996 ,加标平均回收率是98 % ,相对标准差(n=6)是3.3 % ;样品测定结果显示 ,8周内 ,关节软骨中Pyr含量逐渐下降 ,软骨下骨中Pyr含量在早期下降 ,随后逐渐升高 ;骨胶原Pyr含量的变化是造成尿液Pyr升高的原因。     

电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定鲨鱼软骨中硫酸氨基聚糖

报道了鲨鱼软骨中硫酸氨基聚糖测定的新方法－电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法（ＩＣＰ－ＡＥＳ）。该方法简单，分析速度快，准确度高。本文首先提出鲨鱼软骨中硫酸氨基聚糖测定的经验公式为：Ｗａｐｓ＝８．２２７·Ｔｓ（Ｗａｐｓ为硫酸氨基聚糖含量，Ｔｓ为鲨鱼软骨中总硫含量），能满足定量分析要求。     

Unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis: A re-examination

Re-examination of flexible fiberoptic videotaped laryngeal images of 39 patients with unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis (URLNP) by four observer-judges revealed consistent findings of a unilaterally appearing shorter vocal fold with asymmetry of the arytenoid complex on the involved side. No previous similar experience in otolaryngological training or practice has been encountered. Multiple discrepancies between and among observer-judges regarding vocal fold positions during phonation were encountered. Possible explanations are discussed. The need for further investigation to determine the mechanics causing these differences is stressed. It is suggested that for the present, such terms as median, paramedian, and intermediate be used in teaching and in practice as generalities only.     

Advances in Mechanical Properties of Hydrogels for Cartilage Tissue Defect Repair

Numerous factors, such as degeneration and accidents, frequently cause cartilage deterioration. Owing to the absence of blood vessels and nerves in cartilage tissue, the ability of cartilage tissue to heal itself after an injury is relatively low. Hydrogels are beneficial for cartilage tissue engineering owing to their cartilage-like structure and advantageous properties. Due to the disruption of its mechanical structure, the bearing capacity and shock absorption of cartilage are diminished. The tissue should possess excellent mechanical properties to ensure the efficacy of cartilage tissue repair. This paper discusses the application of hydrogels in the fields of cartilage repair, the mechanical properties of hydrogels used for cartilage repair, and the materials used for hydrogels in cartilage tissue engineering. In addition, the challenges faced by hydrogels and future research directions are discussed.     

Cell‐Free HA‐MA/PLGA Scaffolds with Radially Oriented Pores for In Situ Inductive Regeneration of Full Thickness Cartilage Defects

A bioactive scaffold with desired microstructure is of great importance to induce infiltration of somatic and stem cells, and thereby to achieve the in situ inductive tissue regeneration. In this study, a scaffold with oriented pores in the radial direction is prepared by using methacrylated hyaluronic acid (HA‐MA) via controlled directional cooling of a HA‐MA solution, and followed with photo‐crosslinking to stabilize the structure. Poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) (PLGA) is further infiltrated to enhance the mechanical strength, resulting in a compressive modulus of 120 kPa. In vitro culture of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) reveals spontaneous cell aggregation inside this type of scaffold with a spherical morphology. In vivo transplantation of the cell‐free scaffold in rabbit knees for 12 w regenerates simultaneously both cartilage and subchondral bone with a Wakitani score of 2.8. Moreover, the expression of inflammatory factor interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) is down regulated, although tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) is remarkably up regulated. With the anti‐inflammatory, bioactive properties and good restoration of full thickness cartilage defect in vivo, the oriented macroporous HA‐MA/PLGA hybrid scaffold has a great potential for the practical application in the in situ cartilage regeneration.

     

Calcifications in human osteoarthritic articular cartilage: ex vivo assessment of calcium compounds using XANES spectroscopy

Calcium (Ca²⁺)‐containing crystals (CCs), including basic Ca²⁺ phosphate (BCP) and Ca²⁺ pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystals, are associated with severe forms of osteoarthritis (OA). Growing evidence supports a role for abnormal articular cartilage mineralization in the pathogenesis of OA. However, the role of Ca²⁺ compounds in this mineralization process remains poorly understood. Six patients, who underwent total knee joint replacement for primary OA, have been considered in this study. Cartilage from femoral condyles and tibial plateaus in the medial and lateral compartments was collected as 1 mm‐thick slices cut tangentially to the articular surface. First, CCs presence and biochemical composition were assessed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR). Next, Ca²⁺ compound biochemical form was further assessed using X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) performed at the Ca²⁺K‐absorption edge. Overall, 12 cartilage samples were assessed. Using FT‐IR, BCP and CPPD crystals were detected in four and three out of 12 samples, respectively. Ca²⁺ compound biochemical forms differed between areas with versus without CCs, when compared using XAS. The complete set of data shows that XANES spectroscopy can be used to accurately characterize sparse CCs in human OA cartilage. It is found that Ca²⁺ compounds differ between calcified and non‐calcified cartilage areas. In calcified areas they appear to be mainly involved in calcifications, namely Ca²⁺ crystals.     

Impulse and mass transport in a cartilage bioreactor using the lattice Boltzmann method

Mass and Impulse transport of oxygen enriched water in cartilage cell breeding reactor are simulated using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The solver is attached with a shear stress and pressure calculator to quantify the load distribution on the cells. The solver was validated using the backward-facing step flow, which is a classical benchmark of similar discrete geometry for the bioreactor. This is achieved by comparing the qualitative and quantitative results obtained by LBM with the traditional solution and experimental approach for such a problem. The D2Q9 lattice model is used to carry out the calculations for the flow field, with a first order bounce-back boundary condition. Oxygen consumption efficiency levels in the bioreactor were reported.     

A phenomenological model of damage in articular cartilage under impact loading

Damage progression in high-strain rate and impact tests on articular cartilage is considered. A new type of kinetic damage evolution law is proposed and used to draw implications about the accumulated damage and the coefficient of restitution. Based on the developed damage model, a new fracture criterion is introduced.     

States of water,surface and rheological characterisation of a new biohydrogel as articular cartilage substitute

PVA based hydrogel was synthesised using, as crosslinking agent, trisodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) and its morphology was modified inducing a microporous structure to obtain potential substitutes for cartilage tissue. The hydrogel was characterised by Infrared Spectroscopy combined with Time of flight mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) that confirmed the successful occurrence of crosslinking reaction, the hyphotised crosslinking arm and its homogeneous distribution. The mechanical spectra of the fully hydrated samples confirmed covalently crosslinked systems with a rheological behaviour similar to that of tibial cartilage. Further analysis in terms of water content measurements, thermal stability and cytotoxicity confirmed the applicability of such a hydrogel as cartilage substitute. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.