CONTACT GUIDANCE OF FIBROBLASTS ON BIOMATERIAL SURFACES

The physico-chemical properties of a biomaterial and its surface-texture greatly influence the type of tissue reaction. Grooved substrata provoke cellular orientation which is known as contact guidance. Using gingival fibroblasts it has been demonstrated that microstructured hydrophilic (by glow discharge treatment) silicone also induces cellular alignment. Further analysis of the cell contacts by laser scanning microscopy has revealed that the focal adhesion sites were also oriented along the substratum microstructures. This phenomenon supports earlier hypotheses regarding cellular alignment and may be responsible for the orientation of the whole cell.