FORMATION OF CONTINUOUS COLLAGEN-FIBERS - EVALUATION OF BIOCOMPATIBILITY AND MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES

Reconstituted collagen fibres have potential applications in repair of soft and hard tissues. Preliminary studies conducted in our laboratory suggest that discontinuous reconstituted type I fibres have strengths similar to those of fibres teased from tendons. The purpose of this paper is to report a method for continuous collagen fibre production and the properties of fibres produced. Ultimate tensile mechanical properties and biocompatibility of continuous type I collagen fibres were studied and compared with the properties of fibres produced manually (discontinuous fibres). In general, continuously made cyanamide cross-linked fibres show slightly inferior mechanical properties and faster biodegradation rates compared with manually made fibres because of minor differences in the fibre-formation protocol introduced by design constraints. However, continuous and discontinuous fibres cross-linked with glutaraldehyde had comparable properties. These results demonstrate that production of 50 μm diameter continuous collagen fibre is possible. © 1990.