The amniotic membrane is a placental tissue that supports the development of the fetus during pregnancy. It is composed of extracellular matrix components such as collagen, fibronectin, and laminin, and contains many different growth factors and cytokines. Amniotic membrane can be PURION(R) Processed to produce dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (dHACM, Epifix, Amniofix; MiMedx Group Inc.) allografts. This tissue has been shown in randomized clinical trials to be effective for healing chronic foot and leg ulcers, and has demonstrated the ability to promote the migration of stem cells in vitro and to recruit stem cells to a wound site in vivo. Owing to its regenerative properties, amniotic membrane and dHACM allografts have more recently been implicated as an alternative or supplemental therapy in the treatment of orthopedic tissue injuries such as plantar fasciitis, tendinopathy, and vertebral fusion procedures. In this review, the basic structure, function, and components of dHACM are discussed, and its current in vitro, in vivo, and clinical usages in orthopedic tissue repair applications are summarized.
Full Text here: Dehydrated Human Amnion Chorion Membrane dHACM
Regenerative Orthopedics Publication courtesy of open-access article published in Techniques in Orthopaedics: May 19, 2017
