Positive effects of an extracellular matrix hydrogel on rat anterior cruciate ligament fibroblast proliferation and collagen mRNA expression

Summary Background/Objective We have previously shown that an extracellular matrix (ECM) bioscaffold derived from porcine small intestine submucosa (SIS) enhanced the healing of a gap injury of the medial collateral ligament as well as the central third defect of the patellar tendon. With the addition of a hydrogel form of SIS, we found that a transected goat anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) could also be healed. The result begs the research question of whether SIS hydrogel has positive effects on ACL fibroblasts (ACLFs) and thus facilitates ACL healing. Methods In the study, ECM-SIS hydrogel was fabricated from the digestion of decellularised and sterilised sheets of SIS derived from αGal-…