Poly(ɛ-caprolactone) and Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate-based Scaffolds for TMJ Bioengineered Disc Implants

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), articulation between the mandibular condyle and the temporal bone, is divided into two compartments (superior and inferior) by a fibrocartilaginous disc. The TMJ disc consists on an avascular and non-innervated tissue, with viscoelastic behavior. Mechanically, the TMJ disc experiences tensile, compressive and shear forces. TMJ disc displacement or degeneration could lead to severe intra-articular temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). Despite the large number of current therapies/treatments, there is limited treatment options for severe intra-articular TMD. A strategy to solve this problem could be the use of an interposal material to substitute the damaged TMJ disc, which will gradually degrade and give rise to new tissue. In this work three options were used and tested, one using a thermoplastic material, poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL), another using an photopolymerized hydrogel, polyethylene glycol diacrilate (PEGDA) and the third using the combination of the two materials. Obtained results demonstrated that that the combination of different materials could represent a significant advantage in the TMJ disc TE and in the cartilage TE in general.