Radially Oriented Collagen Scaffold With SDF-1 Promotes Osteochondral Repair

Objective:The migration of cells from the side and the bottom of the defect is important in osteochondral defect healing.Here,we designed a novel collagen scaffold that possessed channels in both the horizontal and the vertical directions,along with stromal cell-derived factor-1(SDF-1)to enhance osteochondral regeneration by facilitating cell homing.Methods:Firstly we fabricated the radially oriented and random collagen scaffolds,then tested their properties.Then we measured the migration of BMSCs in the scaffolds in vitro.Moreover,we created osteochondral defects in rabbits,and implanted them with random or oriented collagen scaffolds with or without SDF-1,and evaluated cartilage and subchondral bone regeneration at 6 and 12 weeks after surgery.Results:The radially oriented collagen scaffold had better mechanical properties than the random scaffold,but both supported cell proliferation well.The radially oriented collagen scaffold effectively promoted their migration,and this effect was further facilitated by addition of SDF-1.Cartilage regeneration with both the radially oriented scaffold and SDF-1 effectively promoted repair of the cartilage defect.Conclusions:Our results confirmed that the implantation of the radially oriented channel collagen scaffold with SDF-1 could be a promising strategy for osteochondral repair.