Extracellular matrix proteins promote chondrocyte attachment on PLA/PGA copolymer scaffolds

Osteoarthritis is a complex disease with a common endstage of cartilage degeneration and failure. Aging, trauma, and genetics may initiate a process leading to change in the metabolism and composition of the cartilage. The result is often further abnormalities in cartilage function, biomechanics and morphology. Advance stages of the disease result in loss of cartilage. The viability of using chrondocytes together with biomaterial cell carriers as grafts for repair of cartilage defects was studied. The effect of cell attachment proteins have on the cell attachment properties of synthetic material was evaluated.