A composite scaffold having a highly porous interior with increased surface area and void volume is surrounded by a flexible support structure that substantially maintains its three-dimensional shape under tension and provides mechanical reinforcement during repair or reconstruction of soft tissue while simultaneously facilitating regeneration of functional tissue.

The invention provides compositions and methods for treatment of tendon and ligament injuries and/or repair of damaged tendons and ligament. The invention provides compositions comprising a biocompatible matrix and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF).

The disclosure relates to high-strength polyolefin composite fibers, which fibers have a fiber body comprising a composition consisting of polyolefin; 1-30 mass % of bioceramic particles having particle size D50 of 0.01-10 μm; at most 0.05 mass % of residual spin solvent; optionally 0-3 mass % of other additives; and wherein the sum of a)-d) is 100 mass %; and which fibers have bioceramic particles exposed at their surface, and show bioactivity. The composite fibers based on a composition of polyolefin with bioceramic particles mixed therein show particles being exposed at the fiber surface by techniques like AFM and XPS, and although apparently only a relatively small amount of bioceramic particles is exposed at the fiber surface, this appears sufficient for effective interaction with their environment and stimulating a positive biological response as demonstrated by in vitro cell studies.

The present disclosure also concerns a method of making the high-strength composite fibers via a gel spinning process, fibrous articles comprising said bioactive composite fibers. Further embodiments concern use of these fibrous articles as a component of a medical implant or as a medical implant, especially as permanent high-strength orthopedic implants for repairing bone fractures or torn ligaments or tendons. Other embodiments include medical devices or implants comprising said fibrous articles.

The present disclosure describes methods of treating an injury in a subject using placental tissue streamers, engineered tissue placental tissue hybrids, suture placental tissue hybrids, placental tissue patch hybrids, and tissue hybrids, and the use of these compositions to repair, treat, or support an injury or degenerative process in a subject.

Devices used to repair ruptured tendons are described, particularly a tendon grasping device and devices for the application thereof and to the uses if these devices; the tendon grasping device is made of a suitable for surgery bio-compatible material, a series of curved elements connected sequentially to form a hollow deformable structure; in use each curved element surrounds the tendon and the structure deforms between a radially extended condition and a radially retracted condition, in which each curved element firmly surrounds the tendon by applying pressure around the tendon without penetrating it.

Compositions and blends of biopolymers and copolymers are described, along with their use to prepare biocompatible scaffolds and surgically implantable devices for use in supporting and facilitating the repair of soft tissue injuries.

An object is to provide a dried amniotic membrane that promotes regeneration of a tendon and a tendon sheath when a tendon injury has occurred and that reduces loss of the motor function of fingers of upper limbs and lower limbs due to tendon adhesion as a novel regeneration material. As a means for resolution, a dry amniotic membrane is produced by performing a specific drying treatment, that is, during a depressurization operation in which a fresh amniotic membrane placed in a treatment tank is continuously heated by an infrared heater provided in the treatment tank, and the inside of the treatment tank is brought into a depressurized state; and a pressure recovery operation in which the pressure of the inside of the treatment tank in a depressurized state is raised slightly toward the atmospheric pressure, drying is performed while applying energy to water molecules present in the amniotic membrane by irradiating the fresh amniotic membrane with a microwave also from a microwave generator provided in the treatment tank. The dried amniotic membrane retaining of the cell and tissue structures by repeating the treatment of drying a plurality of times promotes regeneration of the motor function of fingers of upper limbs and lower limbs after tendon suture surgery and is useful as a regeneration material.

A method of preparing fiber includes blending bio-compatible ceramic powder and first polyester to form a ceramic powder composition, wherein the bio-compatible ceramic powder and the first polyester have a weight ratio of 10:90 to 60:40. The method further includes blending the ceramic powder composition and second polyester to form a composite material, wherein the ceramic powder composition and the second polyester have a weight ratio of 0.4:99.6 to 40:60. The method also spins the composite material to form a fiber. The first polyester has an intrinsic viscosity (IV) of 0.35 dL/g to 0.55 dL/g, and the second polyester has an intrinsic viscosity (IV) of 0.6 dL/g to 0.8 g/dL. The fiber can be woven to form an artificial ligament/tendon.

A cell-support matrix having narrowly defined uniformly vertically and non-randomly organized porosity and pore density and a method for preparation thereof. The matrix suitable for preparation of cellular or acellular implants for growth and de novo formation of an articular hyaline-like cartilage. A gel-matrix composite system comprising collagen-based matrix having a narrowly defined porosity capable of inducing hyaline-like cartilage production from chondrocytes in vivo and in vitro.

The present invention relates to methods for preparing bioscaffolds useful in the repair of tears. More specifically, the invention relates to a method of treating rotator cuff tear in a mammalian subject in need thereof comprising the steps of: (i) selectively expanding tenocytes in vitro in culture medium comprising insulin or a functional derivative and a glucocorticoid or a glucocorticoid-like molecule to produce a culture of expanded tenocytes; (ii) seeding a bioscaffold with said expanded tenocytes to produce a tenocyte seeded bioscaffold; and (iii) implanting said tenocyte seeded bioscaffold proximal to the rotator cuff tear. The present invention also relates to a bioscaffold comprising cells, wherein more than 80% of said cells are tenocytes.