Acceleration of Ligament Healing with Cellular Attractants.

摘要

Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) with subsequent damage to the menisci and articular cartilage in the knee joint is a major cause of morbidity in the armed forces. type VI collagen is a haptotactic cell attractant. We have shown that type VI collagen with bound heparin/FGF-2 or hyaluronan or fibronectin promotes migration of canine ACL and DET cells. Insertion of type VI collagen into a wound in the canine meniscus increases that the cruciate ligaments results in the release of soluble factors that activate stern cells and stimulate proliferation and migration of these cells. The cells migrate toward the wound by moving along an interface of two collagen fibril systems. The appropriate scaffold combined with stem cells offers a powerful approach ot he the management of battlefields injuries to ligaments and menisci to minimize the sequelae in wounded warriors.