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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Biomaterials. 2017 Mar 15;129:54–67. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.03.013

Figure 4.

Figure 4

Engineering of a composite IVD has been performed using collagen contracting gels (A) or electrospun polymers (B) to provide for an aligned AF that is integrated with the NP. (A) Collagen contraction composite IVD fabrication (I.) NP dimensions used to design injection mold in CAD program. (II.) Injection mold 3D printed out of ABS plastic. (III.) Cell-seeded alginate was injected into mold. (IV.) Alginate NP was removed from mold and placed in center of 24 well plate, where cell seeded collagen was poured around alginate NP. (V.) After 2 weeks of culture, cell seeded collagen contracts around alginate NP to form a gel NP encased by a contracted collagen gel. (B) In another approach, electrospinning of polymer solutions is used to created aligned fibrous sheets that are then wound circumferentially to yield an aligned AF to encase the NP. (C) Both approaches for engineering a composite IVD have been evaluated in vivo in small animal models. (D) Histological evaluation of implant performance demonstrates generally good integration with the surrounding, native AF and endplate.