Physical barriers such as electrospun fibrous membranes are potentially useful in preventing peritendinous adhesions after surgery. However, inflammatory responses caused by degradation of barrier materials remain a major challenge. This study aimed to fabricate electrospun composite fibrous membranes based on drug-loaded modified mesoporous silica (MMS) and poly (l-lactic acid) (PLLA). Using a co-solvent-based electrospinning method ibuprofen (IBU)-loaded MMS was successfully and uniformly encapsulated in the PLLA fibers. The electrospun PLLA-MMS-IBU composite fibrous membranes showed significantly lower initial burst release (6% release in the first 12h) compared with that of electrospun PLLA-IBU fibrous membranes (46% release in the first 12h) in in vitro release tests. Moreover, the release from PLLA-MMS-IBU was also for significantly longer than that from PLLA-IBU (100 vs. 20days). In animal studies both PLLA-IBU and PLLA-MMS-IBU showed improved anti-adhesion properties and anti-inflammatory effects compared with PLLA fibrous membrane alone 4weeks after implantation. Further, animals implanted with PLLA-MMS-IBU for 8weeks showed the lowest inflammation and best recovery compared with those implanted with PLLA-IBU and PLLA, most likely as a result of its long-term IBU release profile. Therefore, this study provides a platform technique for fabricating fibrous membranes with long-term sustained drug release characteristics which may function as a novel carrier for long-term anti-inflammation and anti-adhesion to prevent peritendinous adhesions.
Copyright © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.