Background

Aseptic loosening of prostheses is the most common cause for failure in total joint arthroplasty. Particulate wear debris induces a non-stop inflammatory-like response resulting in the formation of a layer of fibrous periprosthetic tissue at the bone/implant interface. The current treatment is an invasive revision joint replacement surgery. However, this procedure has a high morbidity rate, therefore, a less invasive alternative is necessary. One approach could be to re-establish osseointegration of the joint prosthesis by inducing osteoblast differentiation in the periprosthetic tissue. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the capacity of periprosthetic tissue cells to differentiate into the osteoblast lineage.

Introduction and Objective. In the elderly population, chronic rotator cuff tears are often associated with high re-rupture rates after surgical tendon refixation. Implant materials, especially in combination with additives are supposed to positively influence healing outcome. Furthermore, adequate mechanical properties are crucial. In order to realize degradable implants with high specific surface area, polycaprolactone (PCL) was chosen as basic material and processed by electrospinning to achieve a high surface area for growth factor implementation and subsequent cell attachment. Materials and Methods. PCL (M. n. approx. 80,000 g/mol) was used to generate fibre mats by electrospinning (relative collector velocity 8 m/s; flow rate of 4 ml/h). Mechanical analysis was performed according to EN ISO 527–2:2012 with test specimen 1BA (5 mm in diameter). Maximum force at failure (Fmax) as well as stiffness were evaluated. For preclinical in vivo testing, a coating with CS-g-PCL was performed to increase cellular adhesion and biological integration. Native and TGF-ß3 loaded mats were examined in a chronic rat tendon defect model with dissection of the M. infraspinatus, four week latency and following refixation at the humerus with different PCL-fibre mats (approval Nr. 33.12–42502–04–15/2015). After 8 weeks, rats were finalized and tendon-bone insertions were analyzed biomechanically and via histological methods. Results. Electrospun PCL-fibre mats (n = 6) showed maximum forces of 2.19 ± 0.8 N and a stiffness of 0.38 ± 0.12 N/mm. Native rat infraspinatus tendons showed Fmax values of 28.4 ± 7.2 N and a stiffness of 11.8 ± 4.9 N/mm. After implantation, Fmax of the implant-tendon-regenerate was significantly lower in CS-g-PCL - fibre mat groups compared to native control tendons (mean 52 % of native tendon value). Functionalization with TGF-ß3 led to increased Fmax (78 % of the native tendon value). However, differences were not statistically significant. Histological evaluation revealed no differences between non loaded and TGF-ß3 loaded mats. The implants were strongly disintegrated. Granulation tissue and a high number of foreign body giant cells were present. Conclusions. Although mechanical properties of fabricated mats were low, loading of the fibre mats influenced the biomechanical outcome of refixed tendons, presumably due to their high potential for binding biological active substances like TGF-ß3. However, in ongoing studies these cell reactions, especially regarding polarization of macrophages and foreign body cells need to be characterized. This research project has been supported by the German Research Foundation “Graded Implants FOR 2180 – tendon- and bone junctions” WE 4262/6-2 and parts were published in J Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2020 Jan;14(1):186–197. doi: 10.1002/term.2985

Introduction. Tendon ruptures are a common injury and often require surgical intervention to heal. A refixation is commonly performed with high-strength suture material. However, slipping of the thread is unavoidable even at 7 knots potentially leading to reduced compression of the sutured tendon at its footprint. This study aimed to evaluate the biomechanical properties and effectiveness of a novel dynamic high-strength suture, featuring self-tightening properties. Method. Distal biceps tendon rupture tenotomies and subsequent repairs were performed in sixteen paired human forearms using either conventional or the novel dynamic high-strength sutures in a paired design. Each tendon repair utilized an intramedullary biceps button for radial fixation. Biomechanical testing aimed to simulate an aggressive postoperative rehabilitation protocol stressing the repaired constructs. For that purpose, each specimen underwent in nine sequential days a daily mobilization over 300 cycles under 0-50 N loading, followed by a final destructive test. Result. After the ninth day of cyclic loading, specimens treated with the dynamic suture exhibited significantly less tendon elongation at both proximal and distal measurement sites (-0.569±2.734 mm and 0.681±1.871 mm) compared to the conventional suture group (4.506±2.169 mm and 3.575±1.716 mm), p=0.003/p<0.002. Gap formation at the bone-tendon interface was significantly lower following suturing using dynamic suture (2.0±1.6 mm) compared to conventional suture (4.5±2.2 mm), p=0.04. The maximum load at failure was similar in both treatment groups (dynamic suture: 374± 159 N; conventional suture: 379± 154 N), p=0.925. The predominant failure mechanism was breakout of the button from the bone (dynamic suture: 5/8; conventional suture: 6/8), followed by suture rupturing, suture unraveling and tendon cut-through. Conclusion. From a biomechanical perspective, the novel dynamic high-strength suture demonstrated higher resistance against gap formation at the bone tendon interface compared to the conventional suture, which may contribute to better postoperative tendon integrity and potentially quicker functional recovery in the clinical setting

Chronic rotator cuff tears are a major problem especially in the elderly population. Refixation is associated with high re-rupture rates. Therefore new implants or healing methods are needed. For a control of success biomechanical characteristics of native as well as treated tendons are of particular importance. Currently, tensile tests with static material testing machines are the most common technique for the biomechanical characterization of tendons. Resulting values are the maximum force (Fmax), stiffness and the Young´s modulus. However, no information is given about the allocation of strains over the tendon area. In addition, the determination of Fmax results in tissue destruction thus foreclosing further evaluation like histology. The Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is a contact-free non-destructive optical measuring method which gives information about distribution of strains by tracking the areal shift of an applied speckle pattern. The needed speckle pattern has to have a high contrast, a homogeneous distribution and a good adhesion to the surface. The method is established for the characterization of construction materials [1] to detect e.g. weak points. The present study examined if DIC is applicable for the complementary biomechanical evaluation of the sheep infraspinatus tendon. Fine ground powder extracted from a printer cartridge was chosen as a starting point. Preliminary to the in vitro experiments, the powder was applied on sheets with different methods: brushing, blowing, sieving and stamping. Stamping showed best results and was used for further in vitro tests on cadaveric native tendons (n=5). First, the toner powder was transferred to coarse-grained abrasive paper using a brush and stamped on the tendon surface. Afterwards DIC analysis was performed. For the in vivo tests, the left infraspinatus tendon of two German black-headed Mutton Sheep was detached and then refixed with bone anchors, the right tendon was used as native control (authorization: AZ 33.19-42502-04-17/2739). 12 weeks after surgery the animals were euthanized, the shoulders were explanted and DIC measurement performed. The speckle pattern could be applied adequately on the smooth tendon surfaces of native tendons. All specimens could be analyzed by DIC with sufficient correlation coefficients. The highest displacements were measured in the peripheral areas, whereas the central part of the tendon showed a low displacement. Repaired left tendons showed obvious differences already macroscopically. The tendons were thicker and showed inhomogeneous surfaces. Application of the toner powder by stamping was distinctly more complicated, DIC analysis could not produce sufficient correlation coefficients. In summary, transfer of DIC to native infraspinatus tendons of sheep was successful and can be further transferred to other animal and human tendons. However, irregular surfaces in tendon scar tissues affect the application of an adequate speckle pattern with a stamp technique. Therefore, further modifications are necessary. This research project has been supported by the German Research Foundation “Graded Implants FOR 2180 – tendon- and bone junctions” WE 4262/6-1

Background. Periprosthetic osteolysis is the most common long-term complication of a total joint arthroplasty, often resulting in aseptic loosening of the implant. As we aim at developing a safe and minimally invasive implant refixation procedure, thorough characterisation of the properties of the periprosthetic tissue is needed. Methods. In this pilot study, the periprosthetic tissue of eleven patients undergoing hip revision surgery due to aseptic loosening was obtained. Histology, confocal microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation were performed to structurally and mechanically characterise the tissue. The study was approved by the Medical Ethical Committee of the Leiden University Medical Center. Results. Using a Sirius Red staining and Movat staining, samples were shown to contain collagen fibers and a ground substance consisting of glycosoaminoglycans and mucopolysaccharides. However, the relative proportions of these tissue components differed between as well as within samples. Confocal microscopy revealed differences in collagen fiber orientation and thickness between tissues. Certain samples showed increased collagen staining intensity as well as increased fiber directionality, indicating higher degrees of tissue maturation. Using AFM and nanoindentation, the Young's modulus of the tissue was determined, which is a measure of tissue stiffness. The ranges of Young's moduli observed (generally 0–250 kPa) were relatively low when compared to other collagen-rich soft tissues (e.g. 500 kPa in skin and even 25 MPa in pericardium). Since the periprosthetic tissue develops at a site of friction, cells at the bone-implant interface seem not able to produce a matrix with optimal strength and properties. Conclusions. This study provides new insights on the structural organization and mechanical properties of the periprosthetic tissue. Large inter-patient as well as intra-patient variations in tissue characteristics at all levels studied were observed, which strengthens the need for further research and underscores the need for tailored solutions in the field of treating aseptic loosening