Tissue Engineered Scaffolds Combined with Exercise in the Treatment of Volumetric Muscle Loss in Rat Model

Skeletal muscle has a limited capacity for regeneration following injury, which can lead to volumetric muscle loss (VML). This condition may result in tissue fibrosis, deformity, and long-term disability. VML can arise from various types of injuries, including ischemia, trauma, and tumor excision. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were incorporated in the electrospun composite of PCL-based scaffolds. These were then transplanted onto a 30% VML injury area in the rat's left tibialis anterior (TA) muscle. After transplantation, the effects of PCL/Ag and PCL/HAM/Ag scaffolds were evaluated at three time points: 7 days, 14 days without exercise, and 28 days following 3 weeks of forced treadmill exercise to treat VML. The results showed that the aligned PCL/Ag scaffold had better cell adhesion and proliferation than the PCL/HAM/Ag scaffold while incorporating PCL/Ag scaffolds placed on HAM improved their mechanical stability. the findings of this study suggest that PCL/Ag and PCL/HAM/Ag scaffolds combined with enforced exercise, can promote functional tissue regeneration following VML by stimulating vascularization, reinnervation, and myofiber regeneration. This study found that aligned PCL/Ag and PCL/HAM/Ag nanofibers combined with enforced exercise increase blood vessels, promote cell growth, and enhance myotube formation, which may lead to improved performance and muscle maturation.