Several polymers are researched for tendon repair as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polylactic acid (PLA). These are biocompatible and useful in scaffolding repair though with minimal success due to long-term failure. There is a need to improve such scaffolds’ design and physical–chemical nature. This work concerns surface functionalization of polymeric braids (PET and PLA) that fulfill the high mechanica...
The management of extensive tendon injuries poses a considerable challenge. These cases typically require a partial replacement of the tissue, and conventional treatment options, either grafts or synthetic constructs, present disadvantages. Synthetic constructs may be produced with either non-biodegradable or biodegradable polymers. However, while the former lacks biointegration, the latter requires a compromis...
In recent years, significant attention has been given to “green” product innovation and related manufacturing processes. This work reports the preparation of few-layer graphene (FLG) and respective PLA-based composites by an ecofriendly, efficient, and cost-effective approach. FLG was produced in a scaledup process, based on the noncovalent functionalization of a micronized graphite with a pyrene derivate (PY),...
Challenges involving tendon and ligament repair have motivated the investigation of new strategies to improve clinical outcomes. These have been mainly based on polymer constructs, which may be non-biodegradable or biodegradable. The former typically fails due to lack of device integration and the latter demands a complex balance between biodegradability and tissue ingrowth, often failing due to insufficient me...
The management of extensive tendon injuries poses a considerable challenge. These cases typically require a partial replacement of the tissue, and conventional treatment options, either grafts or synthetic constructs, present disadvantages. Synthetic constructs may be produced with either non-biodegradable or biodegradable polymers. However, while the former lacks biointegration, the latter requires a compromis...
Several polymers are researched for tendon repair as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polylactic acid (PLA). These are biocompatible and useful in scaffolding repair though with minimal success due to long-term failure. There is a need to improve such scaffolds' design and physical–chemical nature. This work concerns surface functionalization of polymeric braids (PET and PLA) that fulfill the high mechanica...
Tendon/ligament injuries are debilitating conditions that affect the life quality of a great percentage of the adult population. Several challenges still have to be addressed regarding the repair of these tissues, as current treatments show limited success. The use of biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric scaffolds potentially helps accomplish a complete and long-term functional repair but, unfortunately, t...
The use of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) and Graphene increased in the last decade and it is likely to keep increasing in the near future. The attractiveness of their properties, particularly the possibility to enhance the composites performance using a tailor made methodology, brings new materials, processes and products for highly demanding industrial applications and to the market. However, there are quite a lot of...
Currently available scaffolds for tissue repair have shown very limited success, so many efforts have being put in the development of novel functional materials capable of regulating cell behavior and enhance the tissue healing rate. Piezoelectric materials, as zinc oxide (ZnO), can be a very interesting solution for scaffold development, as they can deliver electrical signals to cells upon mechanical solicitat...