Biologic Enhancement of a Common Arthroscopic Suture

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro effects of an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) coating on a high-strength nonabsorbable polyester/polyethylene (PE/PEE) suture material commonly used in orthopaedic procedures. Methods: Human bone and tendon specimens were isolated and cultured. The cells were then plated in known densities in the presence of RGD-coated and uncoated PE/PEE suture and allowed to adhere for predetermined time periods. The RGD-coated and uncoated control sutures were then removed and assayed for cell osteoblast and tenocyte adhesion and proliferation. Results: The RGD-modified suture showed a statistically significant increase in both adhesion and proliferation of human tenocytes when compared with uncoated controls (P < .05). Conclusions: The RGD peptide sequence can be effectively coupled with commercially available PE/PEE suture. RGD-coated suture is able to stimulate the adhesion and proliferation of human tenocyte cells in vitro, as well as withstand standard sterilization and storage conditions. Furthermore, the acid hydrolysis process did not affect the strength of the suture material. Clinical Relevance: RGD-modified suture materials have the potential to create favorable biologic responses when used in common orthopaedic procedures.