Creating Replacement Acetabular Labrum with Silk Fibers

[EpiGen]

I am working on a project that involves making a replacement for the acetabular labrum. Our goal is to make a porous replica (same size, shape and tensile properties.) However, I need to find a way to coat the outside of this with silk fibers so that a surgeon has something he can stitch through when attaching to the body.

Does anyone know of any ideas of making silk meshes? I have a bunch of silk cocoons that I can use but I can order some other things.

One method I'm looking at is mixing silk with lithium bromide and placing it in dialysis tubing - the lithium bromide to transport out of the tubing (carrying the silk along with it), leaving a mesh along the inside since the silk can't escape through like the LiBr. Does anyone know of any other methods? Thanks for your help.

 

[Achy47]

Thank you for sharing your project and asking for ideas on making silk meshes. I have some suggestions that may be helpful to you.

Firstly, using silk cocoons is a good starting point as they are a natural source of silk fibers. However, in order to create a strong and durable mesh, it is important to properly process the silk fibers. This can involve boiling the cocoons to remove any sericin (a protein glue) and then stretching and drying the fibers to align them in a specific direction.

One method for creating silk meshes is electrospinning, where a high voltage is applied to a solution of silk and a polymer, causing the solution to form a fine mesh of fibers. This method allows for control over the size and shape of the mesh, and the addition of a polymer can improve the strength and stability of the mesh.

Another method is freeze-drying, where a silk solution is frozen and then placed in a vacuum to remove the water, leaving behind a porous mesh. This method allows for the incorporation of other materials, such as drugs or growth factors, into the silk mesh.

Additionally, you could consider using silk fibroin powder or film to create a mesh. Silk fibroin is the structural protein in silk and can be dissolved in various solvents to form a solution that can be molded or spun into a mesh.

I am not familiar with the method you mentioned of mixing silk with lithium bromide and placing it in dialysis tubing, so I cannot comment on its effectiveness. However, I would recommend conducting thorough research and testing before using this method for creating a surgical mesh.

I hope these suggestions are helpful to you in your project. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. Good luck with your research!