Evaluation of the bovine tendon decellularization method in the development of a cruciate ligament prosthesis

Introduction. Ligaments play a critical role in the body, linking bones together. Ligament ruptures are the most common manifestations of serious musculoskeletal injuries. This is especially true for the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee joint. In trauma surgery, orthopedics, the ligament functional recovery can be achieved by using tissue autografting, synthetic and biological prostheses. Of great interest to surgeons is the use of prostheses made of biological tissues of animal origin, since they are easily available and, when high-quality processing is achieved, they are safe, retaining their natural structure and strength. Purpose of the study. To decellularize the bovine tendon according to our originally developed technique and to investigate its efficacy in terms of the presence of cellular elements and physical and mechanical parameters of the material. Material and methods. To manufacture the prototype of the ligament prosthesis product, we developed the technique for processing the bovine tendon, as the most similar material by structure, including its mechanical processing, chemical and physical processing methods and a special treatment with supercritical carbon dioxide fluid containing nonionic surfactant Tween-80 for decellularization and extraction of organic components in addition to collagen framework, while maintaining strength properties. Histological studies were performed to check for the residues of cellular elements, and the measurements of the physical and mechanical properties of the material were made. Results. Histological examination of the material showed that after processing, 0–2 cells in the field of view were found in the material. The strength properties of the material were 503 kgf/mm2 before processing and 605 kgf/mm2 after processing. Conclusion. The data obtained in the study confirmed that the processing performed qualitatively affected the elimination of cells, did not worsen but even increased the mechanical strength of the material. Further study of the biocompatible properties of the material is required.