Approximately 800, 000 surgical repairs are performed annually in the U.S. for debilitating injuries to ligaments and tendons of the foot, ankle, knee, wrist, elbow and shoulder, presenting a significant healthcare burden. To overcome current treatment shortcomings and advance the treatment of tendon and ligament injuries, we have developed a novel electrospun Tissue ENgineered Device (TEND), comprised of type I collagen and poly(D,L-lactide) (PDLLA) solubilized in a benign solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). TEND fiber alignment, diameter and porosity were engineered to enhance cell infiltration leading to promote tissue integration and functional remodeling while providing biomechanical stability. TEND rapidly adsorbs blood and platelet-rich-plasma (PRP), and gradually releases growth factors over two weeks. TEND further supported cellular alignment and upregulation of tenogenic genes from clinically relevant human stem cells within three days of culture. TEND implanted in a rabbit Achilles tendon injury model showed new in situ tissue generation, maturation, and remodeling of dense, regularly oriented connective tissue in vivo. In all, TEND’s organized microfibers, biological fluid and cell compatibility, strength and biocompatiblility make significant progress towards clinically translating electrospun collagen-based medical devices for improving the clinical outcomes of tendon injuries.

在美国，每年进行大约 800,000 次外科修复手术，使足部、踝部、膝部、腕部、肘部和肩部的韧带和肌腱受损，给医疗保健带来了沉重的负担。为了克服目前的治疗不足和促进肌腱和韧带损伤的治疗，我们已经开发了一种新型电牛逼问题EN gineered d evice（TEND)，由溶解在良性溶剂二甲亚砜 (DMSO) 中的 I 型胶原蛋白和聚 (D,L-丙交酯) (PDLLA) 组成。TEND 纤维排列、直径和孔隙率旨在增强细胞浸润，从而促进组织整合和功能重塑，同时提供生物力学稳定性。TEND 迅速吸附血液和富含血小板的血浆 (PRP)，并在两周内逐渐释放生长因子。TEND 进一步支持在培养三天内来自临床相关人类干细胞的肌腱基因的细胞排列和上调。植入兔跟腱损伤模型的 TEND 显示出新的原位组织生成、成熟和体内致密、规则定向的结缔组织重塑. 总之，TEND 的有组织的微纤维、生物流体和细胞相容性、强度和生物相容性在临床转化基于电纺胶原蛋白的医疗器械以改善肌腱损伤的临床结果方面取得了重大进展。