Extracellular Matrix Determines Biomechanical Properties of Chondrospheres during Their Maturation In Vitro

Objective: Chondrospheres represent a variant of tissue spheroids biofabricated from chondrocytes. They are already being used in clinical trials for cartilage repair; however, their biomechanical properties have not been systematically investigated yet. The aim of our study was to characterize chondrospheres in long-term in vitro culture conditions for morphometric changes, biomechanical integrity, and their fusion and spreading kinetics. Results: It has been demonstrated that the increase in chondrospheres secant modulus of elasticity is strongly associated with the synthesis and accumulation of extracellular matrix. Additionally, significant interplay has been found between biomechanical properties of tissue spheroids and their fusion kinetics in contrast to their spreading kinetics. Conclusions: Extracellular matrix is one of the main structural determinants of chondrospheres biomechanical properties during chondrogenic maturation in vitro. The estimation of tissue spheroids’ physical behavior in vitro prior to operative treatment can be used to predict and potentially control fusogenic self-assembly process after implantation in vivo. © The Author(s) 2018.