The Osteogenesis of Hydroxyapatite and Gelatin Coating on the Polyethylene Terephthalate Artificial Ligament Graft / 中国运动医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Ojective To explore the effect of the hydroxyapatite(HAp)and gelatin(Gel)coating on the healing of the polyethylene terephthalate(PET)artificial ligament.Methods The artificial ligaments were divided into a PET group with a pure PET surface and a PET/HAp/Gel group coated with HAp and Gel.Both coatings were observed using the scanning electron microscope(SEM).Forty-eight male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into two groups and underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction,before two kinds of artificial ligaments were implanted respectively.Four weeks and 8 weeks after the operation,the rabbits were sacrificed,and histological hematoxylin and eosin (HE)staining as well as the biomechanical examination were performed.Results HAp/Gel coating was found depositing on the surface of PET artificial ligaments.Histological HE staining showed a thick fibrous connective tissue forming at the graft-host bone interface 4 weeks postoperatively,and the interface width of both groups were narrowed,with significantly more shrinking in the PET/HAp/Gel coating group.And new bone tissues were found in the interface of PET/HAp/Gel group 8 weeks after the operation.The biomechanical examination found significant differences in the failure load between the PET(46.16 ± 2.88 N) and PET/HAp/Gel group(71.32 ± 3.92 N)8 weeks after the surgery(P=0.0021).And 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the surgery,significant differences were found in the stiffness between the PET group and the PET/HAp/Gel group(11.06 ± 1.14 N/mm vs 16.20 ± 1.17 N/mm,P=0.0199;14.37 ± 0.88 N/mm vs 24.35 ± 1.35 N/mm,P=0.0008).Conclusion HAp/Gel coating can enhance the osteogenesis of PET artificial ligaments,promoting the new bone formation at the graft-host bone interface and herein strengthening the graft-host bone healing.