Overhead throwing athletes experience tears in their ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) due to excessive forces the elbow joint experiences. Current treatment methods reconstruct the existing anatomy using an autografted tendon. This study aims to design an implantable reparative device for partial UCL tears. A collagen sponge reinforced silk hydrogel was designed to encapsulate and release 300 ng platelet derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) a two-week period. This design was encased in an acellular dermal matrix (ADM). The design was validated through cell proliferation, tensile, and drug elution testing. Preliminary results showed that the scaffold would release PDGF-BB over a 2-week period, have a diffusion coefficient of PDGF-BB out of the scaffold through the acellular dermal matrix to be 9.14 ×10−8 ± 1.1 ×10−7 cm2/s, and would be easily implanted in the operating room. Further assessment of the healing promotion of our design is needed. We anticipate that this scaffold will provide a transformative new approach for treating partial UCL tears in overhead throwing athletes.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Hallberg, Evan
• Decelles, Maria
• Smith, Meagan
• Paris, Brooklynn

Subject

• Health
• Innovation
• Well-Being
• Community
• Sustainability
• Project-Based Learning

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042822-135619
• 65461

Keyword

• Ulnar Collateral Ligament
• Ligament
• Growth Factor
• Healing
• Hydrogel
• Scaffold

Advisor

• Troy, Karen
• Pins, George D

Year

• 2022

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Date created

• 2022-04-28

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biomedical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright