New concept for a regenerative and resorbable prosthesis for tendon and ligament: Physicochemical and biological characterization of PLA‐braided biomaterial

We present a concept for a new regenerative and resorbable prosthesis for tendon and ligament and characterize the physicomechanical and biological behavior of one of its components, a hollow braid made of poly‐lactide acid (PLA) which is the load‐bearing part of the prosthesis concept. The prosthesis consists of a braid, microparticles in its interior serving as cell carriers, and a surface non‐adherent coating, all these parts being made of biodegradable materials. The PLA braid has a nonlinear convex stress–strain behavior with a Young modulus of 1370 ± 90 MPa in the linear, stretched state, and after 12 months of hydrolytic degradation the modulus shows a reduction by a factor of four. Different disinfection methods were tested as to their efficiency in cleansing the braid and preparing it for cell culture. Fibroblasts of L929 line were grown on the PLA braid for 14 days, showing good adherence and proliferation. These studies validate the PLA braid for the intended purpose in the regenerative prosthesis concept. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 101A: 3228–3237, 2013.