Preparation of PLLA membranes with different morphologies for culture of ligament cells

Poly (lactic acid) is a biodegradable biomedical material that has been used for connective tissue reconstruction. In this work, poly-L-lactide (PLLA) membranes with different morphologies were prepared by phase separation method. Otherwise, biomaterials coated with various extracellular matrix (ECM) have been shown to promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. In addition, the in vitro interaction of medial collateral ligament cells (MCLs) and PLLA membranes with dense, porous and particulate morphologies and with ECM coating was investigated. It was found that the cell compatibility of three types of PLLA membranes almost the same before coating ECM. The results also revealed that collagen type I could improve ligament cells adhesion and fibronectin could improve ligament cells growth, and this effect was most obvious in paniculate membrane. Therefore, because the PLLA materials with particulate structure could adsorb more ECM which in turn influenced the cell adhesion and cell growth. The PLLA membrane with the paniculate morphology satisfies the biomaterial requirement necessary for temporary scaffold to transplanted ligament cells and provides a means for the architectural design of more complex tissue-engineered systems.