1. Fibre Bundle Diameter (μm)
1 Sharma P, Maffulli N. The Surgeon, 2005, Vol 3, No 5 2 Kidoaki S, Kuen Kwon I, Matsuda T. Biomaterials 26 (2005) Tan E, Ng S, Lim C. Biomaterials 26 (2005) Screen, H. R. C., Lee, D. A. Bader, D. L., Shelton, J. C. Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs Vol. 218 Part H: J. Engineering in Medicine
Our research has shown that PCL fibre bundles can be fabricated by three different methods, and that they are biocompatible for cell adhesion and directing cell growth.
Tertiary Fibre Bundle4
Secondary Fibre Bundle (Fascicle)4
Primary Fibre Bundle (Subfascicle)4
46.07 [± 15.79]
Liquid Reservoir
[± 49.26]
Fixed Point
[± 15.85]
Thin Mandrel
Fibre Bundle Diameter (μm)
Bundle Type
Average diameter of liquid reservoir bundles lie within the Fascicle level of tendons. Both thin mandrel and fixed point average bundles fall within the Tertiary fibre bundle of tendons.
Tenocytes Aligning
Electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fibrous bundles can be created by:
Thin Mandrel – fibres are removed from the edge of the mandrel, submerged in water and twisted together.
Fixed Point – bridged fibres are removed from the gap between the two metal strips, submerged in water and twisted together.
Liquid Reservoir – electrospun fibres collected on the liquid surface are drawn off as fibrous bundles.
Electrospun Polycaprolactone Fibre Bundles for Tendon Regeneration L. A. Bosworth S. J. Eichhorn S. Downes School of Materials, University of Manchester, Grosvenor Street, Manchester, M1 7HS, England
Current therapies for tendon injuries have limited success and further degeneration of the tissue is common. Tendons are composed of an intricate hierarchical arrangement of oriented collagen type I fibre bundles1 with tendon cells positioned in columns amongst these fibres, which assist in turnover of collagen (and other extracellular matrix components)2.
Our research objective is to fabricate an electrospun polymeric scaffold that closely mimics the natural tissue by replicating this hierarchical arrangement.
Longitudinal view of fibre bundles present within a pig Achilles’ tendon
Transverse view of fibre bundles present within a pig Achilles’ tendon
Overall tendon unit for cow Achilles’ tendon
(mag x450)
Bundles collected from the fixed point method resulted in highest tensile strength and modulus. Thin mandrel bundles had the weakest mechanical properties, and this may be attributed to a larger bundle diameter3. The liquid reservoir method was the least reliable of the three bundles, demonstrating lack of uniformity in the results.