Bilayer Type I Atelocollagen Scaffolds for In Vivo Regeneration of Articular Cartilage Defects

Articular cartilage has limited regenerative potential due to its anatomical characteristics, making complete recovery from damage challenging. Microfracture (MFx) is a widely used technique to promote cartilage healing, often enhanced with scaffolds to improve outcomes. In this study, we compared t...

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Main Authors: Sang Hun Woo, Bo Keun Lee, Andrew S. Kwak, Jin Hyo Yang, Seo Yeon Kim, Man Soo Kim, Ji Chul Yoo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Bioengineering
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/5/446
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author Sang Hun Woo
Bo Keun Lee
Andrew S. Kwak
Jin Hyo Yang
Seo Yeon Kim
Man Soo Kim
Ji Chul Yoo
author_facet Sang Hun Woo
Bo Keun Lee
Andrew S. Kwak
Jin Hyo Yang
Seo Yeon Kim
Man Soo Kim
Ji Chul Yoo
author_sort Sang Hun Woo
collection DOAJ
description Articular cartilage has limited regenerative potential due to its anatomical characteristics, making complete recovery from damage challenging. Microfracture (MFx) is a widely used technique to promote cartilage healing, often enhanced with scaffolds to improve outcomes. In this study, we compared the efficacy of bilayer atelocollagen and standard collagen scaffolds combined with MFx in treating osteochondral defects in a rabbit model. Three articular cartilage defects were created in the femoral condyle of each rabbit and treated with either MFx plus a bilayer atelocollagen scaffold (test group), MFx plus a standard collagen scaffold (positive group), or MFx alone (negative group). Macroscopic and histological assessments were performed at 3, 6, and 12 weeks. By week 12, macroscopic examination showed hyaline-like cartilage restoration in the test group, while the positive group exhibited restoration with some overgrowth, and the negative group showed no restoration. Histological analysis revealed significantly better restoration in the test group than in the negative group, with comparable outcomes between the test and positive groups. These findings suggest that bilayer atelocollagen scaffold implantation following MFx is a promising treatment for articular cartilage defects and may provide a viable therapeutic option for patients with cartilage damage.
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spelling doaj-art-ebb51da1ee7047d58e91efdd0f5d657d2025-08-20T01:56:17ZengMDPI AGBioengineering2306-53542025-04-0112544610.3390/bioengineering12050446Bilayer Type I Atelocollagen Scaffolds for In Vivo Regeneration of Articular Cartilage DefectsSang Hun Woo0Bo Keun Lee1Andrew S. Kwak2Jin Hyo Yang3Seo Yeon Kim4Man Soo Kim5Ji Chul Yoo6Research & Development Headquarters, Cellontech Co., Ltd., Seoul 04783, Republic of KoreaResearch & Development Headquarters, Cellontech Co., Ltd., Seoul 04783, Republic of KoreaResearch & Development Headquarters, Cellontech Co., Ltd., Seoul 04783, Republic of KoreaResearch & Development Headquarters, Cellontech Co., Ltd., Seoul 04783, Republic of KoreaResearch & Development Headquarters, Cellontech Co., Ltd., Seoul 04783, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University, Seoul 06591, Republic of KoreaResearch & Development Headquarters, Cellontech Co., Ltd., Seoul 04783, Republic of KoreaArticular cartilage has limited regenerative potential due to its anatomical characteristics, making complete recovery from damage challenging. Microfracture (MFx) is a widely used technique to promote cartilage healing, often enhanced with scaffolds to improve outcomes. In this study, we compared the efficacy of bilayer atelocollagen and standard collagen scaffolds combined with MFx in treating osteochondral defects in a rabbit model. Three articular cartilage defects were created in the femoral condyle of each rabbit and treated with either MFx plus a bilayer atelocollagen scaffold (test group), MFx plus a standard collagen scaffold (positive group), or MFx alone (negative group). Macroscopic and histological assessments were performed at 3, 6, and 12 weeks. By week 12, macroscopic examination showed hyaline-like cartilage restoration in the test group, while the positive group exhibited restoration with some overgrowth, and the negative group showed no restoration. Histological analysis revealed significantly better restoration in the test group than in the negative group, with comparable outcomes between the test and positive groups. These findings suggest that bilayer atelocollagen scaffold implantation following MFx is a promising treatment for articular cartilage defects and may provide a viable therapeutic option for patients with cartilage damage.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/5/446articular cartilageextracellular matrixmicrofractureregenerationcollagen
spellingShingle Sang Hun Woo
Bo Keun Lee
Andrew S. Kwak
Jin Hyo Yang
Seo Yeon Kim
Man Soo Kim
Ji Chul Yoo
Bilayer Type I Atelocollagen Scaffolds for In Vivo Regeneration of Articular Cartilage Defects
Bioengineering
articular cartilage
extracellular matrix
microfracture
regeneration
collagen
title Bilayer Type I Atelocollagen Scaffolds for In Vivo Regeneration of Articular Cartilage Defects
title_full Bilayer Type I Atelocollagen Scaffolds for In Vivo Regeneration of Articular Cartilage Defects
title_fullStr Bilayer Type I Atelocollagen Scaffolds for In Vivo Regeneration of Articular Cartilage Defects
title_full_unstemmed Bilayer Type I Atelocollagen Scaffolds for In Vivo Regeneration of Articular Cartilage Defects
title_short Bilayer Type I Atelocollagen Scaffolds for In Vivo Regeneration of Articular Cartilage Defects
title_sort bilayer type i atelocollagen scaffolds for in vivo regeneration of articular cartilage defects
topic articular cartilage
extracellular matrix
microfracture
regeneration
collagen
url https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/5/446
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