Lyophilized auricular cartilage as a replacement for the interarticular disc of the craniomandibular joint. An experimental study in guinea pigs.
Meniscectomy has major disadvantages and should be abandoned. Replacement of the removed interarticular disc is mandatory. As the harvesting of autogenous transplants requires the creation of a donor site defect, the use of preserved allogenic material seems justified. The interarticular disc of six young adult albino guinea pigs was replaced with preserved allogenic auricular cartilage. From the clinical and histological results we concluded that the postoperative clinical course of all animals paralleled the histological appearance of the joints. The transplants showed marked degree of resorption, but were replaced by fibrous connective tissue with focal cartilage formation. This newly formed structure resembled the original disc and protected the articular components of the joints, which, 24 weeks postoperatively, hardly differed from the controls. The role of the synovia in the formation of the "new disc" was quite evident.
Ioannides
C
C
Dept. of Oral and Maxillafacial Surgery, University Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Maltha
J C
JC
D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000637:transplantation*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000601:surgery*; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D004425:Ear Cartilage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005612:Freeze Drying; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D014021:Tissue Preservation