High-Performance Artificial Ligament Made from Helical Polyester Fibers Wrapped with Aligned Carbon Nanotube Sheets

Repairing high-load connective tissues, such as ligaments, by surgically implanting artificial grafts after injury is challenging because they lack biointegration with host bones for stable interfaces. Herein, a high-performance helical composite fiber (HCF) ligament by wrapping aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets around polyester fibers is proposed. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery shows that HCF grafts could induce effective bone regeneration, thus allowing the narrowing of bone tunnel defects. Such repair of the bone tunnel is in strong contrast to the tunnel enlargement of more than 50% for commercial artificial ligaments made from bare polyester fibers. Rats reconstructed with this HCF ligament show normal jumping, walking, and running without limping. This work allows bone regeneration in vivo through a one-step surgery without seeding cells or transforming growth factors, thereby opening an avenue for high-performance artificial tissues. A biomimetic high-performance fiber ligament is fabricated from helical polyester fibers wrapped in aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets. This fiber ligament induces effective bone regeneration in vivo and thus enables the rats to jump, walk, and run normally without limping.image

Automated summary

A high-performance helical composite fiber (HCF) ligament, made by wrapping carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets around polyester fibers, successfully induces bone regeneration and enables normal movement in rats without the need for cell seeding or growth factors. This HCF ligament demonstrates effective repair of bone tunnel defects, in contrast to the tunnel enlargement observed with commercial artificial ligaments. The one-step surgery approach used in this study opens up new possibilities for the development of high-performance artificial tissues.