Effect of different decellularization protocols on reendothelialization with human cells for a perfused renal bioscaffold of the rat.

Background: Scaffolds for tissue engineering can be received by whole organ decellularization while maintaining the site-specific extracellular matrix and the vascular tree. One among other decellularization techniques is the perfusion-based method using specific agents e.g.

Improving mandibular reconstruction by using topology optimization, patient specific design and additive manufacturing?-A biomechanical comparison against miniplates on human specimen.

In this study, topology optimized, patient specific osteosynthesis plates (TOPOS-implants) are evaluated for the mandibular reconstruction using fibula segments. These shape optimized implants are compared to a standard treatment with miniplates (thickness: 1.0 mm, titanium grade 4) in biomechanical testing using human cadaveric specimen.

Effects of focal metallic implants on opposing cartilage - an in-vitro study with an abrasion test machine.

Background: For focal cartilage defects, biological repair might be ineffective in patients over 45 years. A focal metallic implant (FMI) (Hemi-CAP Arthrosurface Inc., Franklin, MA, USA) was designed to reduce symptoms.

Polydioxanone Threads for Facial Rejuvenation: Analysis of Quality Variation in the Market.

Background: Beside botulinum-toxin injections and hyaluronic acid fillers, thread lifts have established themselves as the third column of minimally invasive facial rejuvenation. Most commonly, barbed threads for this approach are made out of polydioxanone, a material known for decades from application in resorbable sutures. The clinical efficacy and the putative material safety of polydioxanone have fueled the popularity of thread lifts.

Integrated additive design and manufacturing approach for the bioengineering of bone scaffolds for favorable mechanical and biological properties.

Additive manufacturing (AM) presents the possibility of personalized bone scaffolds with unprecedented structural and functional designs. In contrast to earlier conventional design concepts, e.g.

Discrimination between healthy and degenerated bovine articular cartilage with a fiber Bragg grating based microindenter.

Objective: In this study we aim to show that an optical fiber Bragg grating-based microindentation system, which has the potential to be deployed arthroscopically, can differentiate between healthy and degenerated articular cartilage, which represents an important challenge in minimally-invasive surgery.

Design: Twenty bovine osteochondral cylinders, extracted from the patellar groove of ten 24 months old animals were subjected to stepwise in vitro stress-relaxation indentation measurements. The indentation procedure comprised 15 indentation steps of 20 μm each, reaching a total depth of 300 μm.

Full biomechanical mapping of the ovine knee joint to determine creep-recovery, stiffness and thickness variation.

Background: Clinical cartilage repair strategies can be tested using the sheep model as suggest by the European Medicines Agency. To characterize variation within the joint a full biomechanical mapping is necessary. The aim of this study is to establish a loading model, to map regional differences within the knee and determine reference areas for area specific replacement techniques.

Effect of Lower Limb Alignment in Medial Meniscus-Deficient Knees on Tibiofemoral Contact Pressure.

Background: Degenerative medial meniscal tears and subsequent partial meniscal resection compromise meniscal function and lead to an overload of the medial compartment. In addition, lower limb alignment plays a key role in load distribution between the medial and lateral knee compartments, and varus alignment is a potential risk factor for medial osteoarthritis.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this biomechanical study was to investigate the effect of valgus and varus alignment on peak pressure and contact area in knees with concomitant horizontal medial meniscal tears and subsequent leaflet resection.

3D grating-based X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography for high-resolution quantitative assessment of cartilage: An experimental feasibility study with 3T MRI, 7T MRI and biomechanical correlation.

Objective: Aim of this study was, to demonstrate the feasibility of high-resolution grating-based X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (PCCT) for quantitative assessment of cartilage.

Materials And Methods: In an experimental setup, 12 osteochondral samples were harvested from n = 6 bovine knees (n = 2 each). From each knee, one cartilage sample was degraded using 2.

Fiberoptic microindentation technique for early osteoarthritis diagnosis: an in vitro study on human cartilage.

In this study, the capability of a fiber optic microindenter sensor to discriminate between healthy and slightly degenerated human articular cartilage samples is demonstrated. The purely optical indenter sensor is characterized by extremely reduced dimensions (0.125 mm in diameter and 27 mm in length) in comparison to existing indenter probes offering advantages for endoscopic deployment.

Effect of Statistically Iterative Image Reconstruction on Vertebral Bone Strength Prediction Using Bone Mineral Density and Finite Element Modeling: A Preliminary Study.

Statistical iterative reconstruction (SIR) using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is a promising alternative to standard filtered back projection (FBP), because of lower noise generation while maintaining image quality. Hence, we investigated the feasibility of SIR in predicting MDCT-based bone mineral density (BMD) and vertebral bone strength from finite element (FE) analysis. The BMD and FE-predicted bone strength derived from MDCT images reconstructed using standard FBP (FFBP) and SIR with (FSIR) and without regularization (FSIRB0) were validated against experimental failure loads (Fexp).

Improving results in rat fracture models: enhancing the efficacy of biomechanical testing by a modification of the experimental setup.

Background: Animal fracture models, primarily performed in rats, are crucial to investigate normal and pathological bone healing. However, results of biomechanical testing representing a major outcome measure show high standard deviations often precluding statistical significance. Therefore, the aim of our study was a systematical examination of biomechanical characteristics of rat femurs during three-point bending.

Non-linear optical microscopy and histological analysis of collagen, elastin and lysyl oxidase expression in breast capsular contracture.

Background: Capsular contracture is one of the most common complications in surgical interventions for aesthetic breast augmentation or post-mastectomy breast reconstruction involving the use of silicone prostheses. Although the precise cause of capsular contracture is yet unknown, the leading hypothesis is that it is caused by long-term unresolved foreign body reaction towards the silicone breast implant. To authors' best knowledge, this is the first study that elucidates the presence of lysyl oxidase (LOX)-an enzyme that is involved in collagen and elastin crosslinking within fibrous capsules harvested from patients with severe capsular contracture.

Repair of the lateral posterior meniscal root improves stability in an ACL-deficient knee.

Purpose: To investigate the stabilizing effect of a lateral meniscus posterior root repair in an ACL and root deficient knee.

Methods: The hypothesis of the current study was that a sequential transection of the posterior root and the meniscofemoral ligaments in an ACL-deficient knee increases rotational instability, and conversely, a repair of the meniscus root reduces the internal tibial rotation. Therefore, eight human knee joints were tested in a robotic setup (5 N m internal torque, 50 N m anterior translation load).

Chemically Modified Messenger RNA: Modified RNA Application for Treatment of Achilles Tendon Defects.

Different regenerative medicine approaches for tendon healing exist. Recently, especially gene therapy gained popularity. However, potential mutagenic and immunologic effects might prevent its translation to clinical research.

Multidetector Computed Tomography Imaging: Effect of Sparse Sampling and Iterative Reconstruction on Trabecular Bone Microstructure.

Multidetector computed tomography-based trabecular bone microstructure analysis ensures promising results in fracture risk prediction caused by osteoporosis. Because multidetector computed tomography is associated with high radiation exposure, its clinical routine use is limited. Hence, in this study, we investigated in 11 thoracic midvertebral specimens whether trabecular texture parameters are comparable derived from (1) images reconstructed using statistical iterative reconstruction (SIR) and filtered back projection as criterion standard at different exposures (80, 150, 220, and 500 mAs) and (2) from SIR-based sparse sampling projections (12.

Analysis of Cartilage Regeneration Using a Collagen Type I Hydrogel (CaReS) in the Bovine Cartilage Punch Model.

Objective: Limitations of matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte implantation to regenerate functional hyaline cartilage demand a better understanding of the underlying cellular/molecular processes. Thus, the regenerative capacity of a clinically approved hydrogel collagen type I implant was tested in a standardized bovine cartilage punch model.

Methods: Cartilage rings (outer diameter 6 mm; inner defect diameter 2 mm) were prepared from the bovine trochlear groove.

Correction: Viable adhered Staphylococcus aureus highly reduced on novel antimicrobial sutures using chlorhexidine and octenidine to avoid surgical site infection (SSI).

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Whole bone testing in small animals: systematic characterization of the mechanical properties of different rodent bones available for rat fracture models.

Objectives: Rat fracture models are extensively used to characterize normal and pathological bone healing. Despite, systematic research on inter- and intra-individual differences of common rat bones examined is surprisingly not available. Thus, we studied the biomechanical behaviour and radiological characteristics of the humerus, the tibia and the femur of the male Wistar rat-all of which are potentially available in the experimental situation-to identify useful or detrimental biomechanical properties of each bone and to facilitate sample size calculations.

Viable adhered Staphylococcus aureus highly reduced on novel antimicrobial sutures using chlorhexidine and octenidine to avoid surgical site infection (SSI).

Background: Surgical sutures can promote migration of bacteria and thus start infections. Antiseptic coating of sutures may inhibit proliferation of adhered bacteria and avoid such complications.

Objectives: This study investigated the inhibition of viable adhering bacteria on novel antimicrobially coated surgical sutures using chlorhexidine or octenidine, a critical factor for proliferation at the onset of local infections.

BMP-2 gene activated muscle tissue fragments for osteochondral defect regeneration in the rabbit knee.

Background: Previously published data indicate that BMP-2 gene activated muscle tissue grafts can repair large bone defects in rats. This innovative abbreviated ex vivo gene therapy is appealing because it does not require elaborative and time-consuming extraction and expansion of cells. Hence, in the present study, we evaluated the potential of this expedited tissue engineering approach for regenerating osteochondral defects in rabbits.

Effect of radiation dose reduction on texture measures of trabecular bone microstructure: an in vitro study.

Osteoporosis is characterized by bone loss and degradation of bone microstructure leading to fracture particularly in elderly people. Osteoporotic bone degeneration and fracture risk can be assessed by bone mineral density and trabecular bone score from 2D projection dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry images. However, multidetector computed tomography image based quantification of trabecular bone microstructure showed significant improvement in prediction of fracture risk beyond that from bone mineral density and trabecular bone score; however, high radiation exposure limits its use in routine clinical in vivo examinations.

Biodegradable poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) scaffolds as carriers for genetically-modified fibroblasts.

Recent advances in gene delivery into cells allow improved therapeutic effects in gene therapy trials. To increase the bioavailability of applied cells, it is of great interest that transfected cells remain at the application site and systemic spread is minimized. In this study, we tested clinically used biodegradable poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffolds (Vicryl & Ethisorb) as transient carriers for genetically modified cells.

Fabrication and Characterization of Biphasic Silk Fibroin Scaffolds for Tendon/Ligament-to-Bone Tissue Engineering.

Tissue engineering is an attractive strategy for tendon/ligament-to-bone interface repair. The structure and extracellular matrix composition of the interface are complex and allow for a gradual mechanical stress transfer between tendons/ligaments and bone. Thus, scaffolds mimicking the structural features of the native interface may be able to better support functional tissue regeneration.

Efficient decellularization for tissue engineering of the tendon-bone interface with preservation of biomechanics.

Interfaces between tendon/ligament and bone ("entheses") are highly specialized tissues that allow for stress transfer between mechanically dissimilar materials. Entheses show very low regenerative capacity resulting in high incidences of failure after surgical repair. Tissue engineering is a promising approach to recover functionality of entheses.