Tendon disorders
are common medical conditions, which can be greatly
debilitating as they are often accompanied by great pain and inflammation.
The techniques used nowadays for the treatment of chronic tendon injuries
often involve surgery. However, one critical aspect of this procedure
involves the scar tissue, characterized by mechanical properties that
vary from healthy tissue, rendering the tendons inclined to reinjury
or rupture. Synthetic polymers, such as thermoplastic polyurethane,
are of special interest in the tissue engineering field as they allow
the production of scaffolds with controlled elastic and mechanical
properties, which could guarantee an effective support during the
new tissue formation. The aim of this work was the design and the
development of tubular nanofibrous scaffolds based on thermoplastic
polyurethane and enriched with cerium oxide nanoparticles and chondroitin
sulfate. The scaffolds were characterized by remarkable mechanical
properties, especially when tubular aligned, reaching values comparable
to the ones of the native tendons. A weight loss test was performed,
suggesting a degradation in prolonged times. In particular, the scaffolds
maintained their morphology and also remarkable mechanical properties
after 12 weeks of degradation. The scaffolds promoted the cell adhesion
and proliferation, in particular when in aligned conformation. Finally,
the systems in vivo did not cause any inflammatory effect, representing
interesting platforms for the regeneration of injured tendons.