No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Purified type I collagen was formed into matrices whose pore sizes were defined on the basis of previous results. The first series of in vitro studies measured the metabolism of chondrocytes grown in matrices with various pore sizes; results revealed that the growth rate was independent of the average matrix pore size, but that ckmdrocyte infiltration throughout the matrix was optimal for pore sizes of 100 to 150 un. In a second series of studies, type I collagen was combined with hyaluranic acid; the HyA/collagen matrices had little effect on chcrdrocyte cell growth versus the collagen matrices. A third set of in vitro studies used collagen matrices incorporating varying cornentrations of insulin-like growth factor. It was found that the IGF-1/collagen matrices can significantly effect the growth and metabolism of the clxrihrocytes. These experiments were vital in establishing the collagen matrix parameters which will be used in subsequent in vivo studies.