Crosslinking of Peri-Prosthetic Fibrous Membrane

An Exploratory Study

Master thesis (2018)

Authors

D.J. Fuchs Mechanical Engineering

Contributors

A.A. Zadpoor (supervisor 1)
E.L. Fratila-Apachitei (supervisor 1)
Faculty
Mechanical Engineering
Copyright: © 2018 Dominique Fuchs
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Published Date

27-08-2018

Language

English

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Faculty

Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

Aseptic loosening is a major cause of revision surgery in total hip arthroplasties. To slow down, or reverse loosening, tissue engineering interventions could provide solutions. One possible solution is collagen crosslinking, increasing the stiffness of the tissue. This research is a first investigation into UV-induced crosslinking on tissue harvested during revision surgeries. Nanoscale measurements using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) show an effect of UV crosslinking on tissue degeneration in vitro. Results are inconclusive in determining whether UV collagen crosslinking is a viable intervention for tissue stiffness in aseptic loosening. This study shows tissue degeneration between measurements. Limiting tissue degeneration could improve future research. Changing measurement methods, such as adding microscale (nanoindentation) measurements or utilizing different AFM probe sizes, could lead to more insights. Also adjusting UV crosslinking conditions could allow future research to pinpoint which intensity and duration maximizes crosslinking effects.