Vocal fold augmentation with injectable polycaprolactone microspheres/pluronic F127 hydrogel: Long-term in vivo study for the treatment of glottal insufficiency

Seong Keun Kwon, Hee Bok Kim, Jae Jun Song, Chang Gun Cho, Seok Won Park, Jong Sun Choi, Junsun Ryu, Se Heang Oh, Jin Ho Lee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

There is increasing demand for reconstruction of glottal insufficiency. Several injection materials have been examined for this purpose, but all had limitations, such as poor long-term durability, migration from the injection site, inflammation, granuloma formation, and interference with vocal fold vibration due to viscoelastic mismatch. Here, we developed a novel injection material, consisting of polycaprolactone (PCL) microspheres, which exhibits better viscoelasticity than conventional materials, and Pluronic F127 carrier, which decreases the migration of the injection materials. The material was injected into rabbits with glottal insufficiency and compared with the FDA-approved injection material, calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA). Endoscopic and histological examinations indicated that PCL/Pluronic F127 remained at the injection site with no inflammatory response or granuloma formation, whereas CaHA leaked out and migrated from the injection site. Therefore, vocal fold augmentation was almost completely retained during the 12-month follow-up period in this study. Moreover, induced phonation and high-speed recording of vocal fold vibration showed decreased vocal fold gap area in the PCL/Pluronic F127 group. Our newly developed injection material, PCL/Pluronic F127, permits efficient augmentation of paralyzed vocal fold without complications, a concept that can be applied clinically, as demonstrated by the successful long-term follow-up.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere85512
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume9
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 22 Jan 2014

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Vocal fold augmentation with injectable polycaprolactone microspheres/pluronic F127 hydrogel: Long-term in vivo study for the treatment of glottal insufficiency'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this