Tissue scaffolds for use in muscoloskeletal repairs

1. A tissue scaffold suitable for use in repair and/or regeneration of musculoskeletal tissue when implanted in a body, comprising:

a porous substrate comprising a biodegradable, hydrophobic polymer; and

an alkali metal hyaluronate complex with either a tetra-alkyl ammonium halide or an organic halide incorporated with said substrate,

wherein said alkali metal hyaluronate complex is insoluble in water, yet soluble in mixtures of organic and aqueous solvents in which said hydrophobic polymer is soluble.

2. The tissue scaffold of claim 1 wherein said substrate is selected from the group consisting of a foam and a fibrous, nonwoven mat.

3. The tissue scaffold of claim 2 wherein said biodegradable, hydrophobic polymer is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyesters, poly(amino acids), polyalkylene oxalates, polyamides, tyrosine-derived polycarbonates, polyorthoesters, polyoxaesters, polyphosphazenes, polyhydroxyalkanoates and biopolymers.

4. The tissue scaffold of claim 3 wherein said biodegradable, hydrophobic polymer comprises an aliphatic polyester.

5. The tissue scaffold of claim 4 wherein said aliphatic polyester is selected from the group consisting of homopolymers, copolymers and blends of poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), poly(epsilon-caprolactone), poly(dioxanone) and poly(trimethylene carbonate).

6. The tissue scaffold of claim 5 wherein said hyaluronate complex comprises a complex of sodium hyaluronate with benzalconium chloride in a molar ratio of from about 10:1 to 1:10.

7. The tissue scaffold of claim 6 wherein said hydrophobic polymer is selected from the group consisting of a copolymer of glycolide and lactide.

8. The tissue scaffold of claim 7 wherein said mixture of organic and aqueous solvents comprises a from about 70 percent to about 45 percent of said organic solvent and about 30 to about 55 percent of said aqueous solvent.

9. The tissue scaffold of claim 1 wherein said alkali hyaluronate complex is a complex of a monovalent alkali metal salt of hyaluronic acid with a tetra alkyl ammonium halide.

10. The tissue scaffold of claim 9 wherein said monovalent alkali metal salt of hyaluronic acid is selected from the group consisting of sodium hyaluronate and potassium hyaluronate.

11. The tissue scaffold of claim 10 wherein the molar ratio of said sodium hyaluronate to tetra alkyl ammonium halide is between about 10:1 and about 1:10

12. The tissue scaffold of claim 11 wherein said tetra alkyl ammonium halide is selected from the group consisting of tetrabutylammonium bromide, cetyldimethylethylammonium bromide, benzalconium chloride, stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, 3-(benzyldimethylammonio)propanesulfonate, benzyldimethyldecylammonium chloride, benzyldimethyldodecylammonium bromide, benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride, benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride, benzyldimethyl(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium chloride, benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride and benzethonium chloride.

13. The tissue scaffold of claim 1 wherein said hyaluronate complex is a complex of sodium hyaluronate with an organic halide.

14. The tissue scaffold of claim 13 wherein said organic halide is selected from the group consisting of palmitoyl chloride, acetyl chloride, acetoxyacetyl chloride, ethyl 4-chloro-4-oxo-butyrate, acryloyl chloride, stearoyl chloride, myristoyl chloride, lauroyl chloride, oleoyl chloride, caproyl chloride and decanoyl chloride.

15. The tissue scaffold of claim 1 further comprising cells seeded or cultured therewith prior to implantation in said body.

16. The tissue scaffold of claim 15 wherein said cells are selected from the group consisting of bone marrow cells, mesenchymal stem cells, stromal cells, embryonic stem cells, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, precursor cells derived from adipose tissue, bone marrow-derived progenitor cells, kidney cells, intestinal cells, islets, sertoli cells, peripheral blood progenitor cells, fibroblasts, keratinocytes, nucleus pulposus cells, anulus fibrosis cells, fibrochondrocytes, stem cells isolated from adult tissue, neuronal stem cells, glial cells, macrophages and genetically transformed cells.

17. The tissue scaffold of claim 1 further comprising biological or synthetic factors or agents that promote attachment, proliferation, differentiation or matrix synthesis of targeted cell types.

18. A tissue scaffold suitable for use in repair and/or regeneration of musculoskeletal tissue when implanted in a body, comprising:

a porous substrate comprising a biodegradable, hydrophobic polymer; and

an alkali metal hyaluronate complex with either a tetra-alkyl ammonium halide selected from the group consisting of tetrabutylammonium bromide, cetyldimethylethylammonium bromide, benzalconium chloride, stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, 3-(benzyldimethylammonio)propane-sulfonate, benzyldimethyldecylammonium chloride, benzyldimethyldodecyl ammonium bromide, benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride, benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride, benzyldimethyl(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium chloride, benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride and benzethonium chloride, or an organic halide selected from the group consisting of palmitoyl chloride, acetyl chloride, acetoxyacetyl chloride, ethyl 4-chloro-4-oxo-butyrate, acryloyl chloride, stearoyl chloride, myristoyl chloride, lauroyl chloride, oleoyl chloride, caproyl chloride and decanoyl chloride incorporated with said substrate,

wherein said alkali metal hyaluronate complex is insoluble in water, yet soluble in mixtures of organic and aqueous solvents in which said hydrophobic polymer is soluble.