Lead Inventor:
Helen Lu
Rotator Cuff Degeneration and Tears Require Regeneration of Functional Rotator Cuff Tissues
Chronic degeneration and tears of the rotator cuff are extremely challenging to treat. Clinical failure rates up to 38% have been reported after repairing rotator cuff injuries, and use of implants or grafts have not yielded an improvement in success rates compared to traditional treatments. Typically, this is because grafts do not adequately integrate native rotator cuff tissues, resulting in little to no restoration of rotator cuff function. To improve the outcome of rotator cuff repairs, novel grafting technologies that promote regeneration of functional rotator cuff tissues are necessary.
Polymer Scaffold Enhances Rotator Cuff Repair
This invention is a polymer scaffold that can enhance rotator cuff repair. This scaffold is composed of one or more sheets of nanofibers, which may also contain a hydrogel region seeded with progenitor cells for regeneration of cartilage and other connective tissues, growth factors to promote graft regeneration, or other drugs to enhance success of orthopedic reconstruction. Nanofibrous scaffolds are especially effective for rotator cuff repairs, as the fiber structure mimics that of native collagen. Additionally, by customizing the alignment of the fibers within the polymer scaffold, its functional properties can be selectively enhanced to resemble the structural organization of soft tissues.
Applications:
• A polymer scaffold for increasing the success of procedures repairing torn or degenerative rotator cuffs
• A scaffold for use in other orthopedic procedures repairing cartilage, tendons, and connective tissues in the shoulder or other joints
Advantages:
• Nanofibers can be configured for restoring function in a variety of joints
• Nanofibrous filaments are similar in diameter and structure to native collagen, thus improving integration of the restorative graft
• Polymer scaffold is flexible, and can be configured into several alignments for a variety of repair procedures and applications
• Polymer scaffold can be seeded with growth factors, chemotherapeutic agents, analgesics, anti-infectives to enhance graft incorporation
Patent Status: Patent Pending (WO 2008/100534)
Licensing Status: Available for Licensing and Sponsored Research Support