An in vitro investigation of the PEMA/THFMA polymer system as a biomaterial for cartilage repair

A polymer system consisting of poly(ethyl methacrylate)/tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate (PEMA/THFMA) was investigated as a biomaterial for cartilage repair using chondrocyte culture. The PEMA/THFMA system and Thermanox control were shown to support chondrocytes seeded directly onto the surface for up to 28 days in culture. Differences were seen between the PEMA/THFMA system and Thermanox in DNA content, proliferation and glycosaminoglycon (GAG) synthesis. There was a significantly greater medium: cell GAG ratio for the PEMA/THFMA system compared to Thermanox. A greater number of chondrocytes isolated from the superficial zone of bovine cartilage attached to the PEMA/THFMA system compared to cells isolated from the deep zone, whereas the converse was seen for Thermanox. Matrix constituents including collagen type II were synthesised indicating that the differentiated phenotype was maintained for some of the chondrocytes, although the production of type I collagen indicated that dedifferentiation of some of the chondrocytes had occurred. In conclusion, this study has shown that the PEMA/THFMA system can support chondrocytes in vitro and together with further investigations could lead to the development of the polymer as an ideal candidate for articular cartilage repair.