Collagen sponge didn't help heal torn knee ligaments in pigs
Collagen scaffold supplementation does not improve the functional properties of the repaired anterior cruciate ligament
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Collagen scaffold fully disappeared by 13 weeks with no healing effect
Collagen is widely marketed as a healing aid, but this study shows it vanished without improving tissue repair
Practical Takeaways
Don't use collagen scaffolds alone for ACL repairs—research shows they don't improve healing
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Collagen scaffold fully disappeared by 13 weeks with no healing effect
Collagen is widely marketed as a healing aid, but this study shows it vanished without improving tissue repair
Practical Takeaways
Don't use collagen scaffolds alone for ACL repairs—research shows they don't improve healing
Publication
Journal
Journal of Orthopaedic Research
Year
2010
Authors
B. Fleming, Elise M. Magarian, Sophia L. Harrison, David J. Paller, M. Murray
Related Content
Claims (10)
Collagen peptides specifically stimulate cellular repair mechanisms in ligaments, cartilage, and soft tissues, which is not observed with standard amino acid mixtures.
Adding a collagen scaffold to stitched-up knee ligaments in pigs didn't make the knee wobble less when bent at different angles compared to just stitching it up.
In pigs, adding a collagen scaffold to stitched ACL repairs didn't make the ligament stronger or stiffer than just stitching it.
Under the microscope, the healed ligaments in pigs looked the same whether they had a collagen scaffold or not.
Pig blood tests before and after knee surgery showed no big changes in immune cells or platelets, regardless of whether they got a scaffold.