Differential effect of frequency and duration of mechanical loading on fetal chick cartilage and bone development
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Khatib, Nidal
Parisi, Cristian
Nowlan, Niamh
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Developmental engineering strategies aim to recapitulate aspects of development in vitro as a means to form functional engineered tissues, including cartilage and bone for tissue repair and regeneration. Biophysical stimuli arising from fetal movements are critical for guiding skeletogenesis, but there have been few investigations of the biomechanical parameters which optimally promote cartilage and bone development events in in vitro explants. In this study, we quantitatively and qualitatively assessed the effect of applied flexion-extension movement frequencies (0.33 and 0.67 Hz) and durations (2 h periods, once, twice or three times per day) on knee (stifle) joint cartilage shape, chondrogenesis and diaphyseal mineralisation of fetal chick hindlimbs cultured in a mechanostimulation bioreactor. It was hypothesised that increasing frequency and duration of movements would synergistically promote cartilage and bone formation in a dose-dependent manner. Increasing loading duration promoted cartilage growth, shape development and mineralisation of the femoral condyles and tibiotarsus. While increasing frequency had a significant positive effect on mineralisation, hyaline cartilage growth and joint shape were unaffected by frequency change within the ranges assessed, and there were limited statistical interactions between the effects of movement frequency and duration on cartilage or bone formation. Increased glycosaminoglycan deposition and cell proliferation may have contributed to the accelerated cartilage growth and shape change under increasing loading duration. The results demonstrate that frequencies and durations of applied biomechanical stimulation differentially promoted cartilage and bone formation, with implications for developmentally inspired tissue engineering strategies aiming to modulate tissue construct properties.
Date Issued
2021-05-25
Date Acceptance
2021-02-27
Citation
European Cells and Materials, 2021, 41, pp.531-545
ISSN
1473-2262
Publisher
European Cells & Materials Ltd
Start Page
531
End Page
545
Journal / Book Title
European Cells and Materials
Volume
41
Copyright Statement
© 2021 The Author(s). This article is distributed in accordance with Creative Commons Attribution Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).
License URL
Sponsor
Commission of the European Communities
Grant Number
336306
Subjects
Biomedical Engineering
0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology
0903 Biomedical Engineering
Publication Status
Published