title: Techniques of cartilage growth enhancement: a review of the literature.
abstract: This review attempts to present an overview of the literature pertaining to the techniques of cartilage growth enhancement. Only cartilage has an incomplete capacity for self-repair, especially of superficial defects. Full-thickness defects involving the subchondral bone can be repaired with the use of pluripotent progenitor cells from bone marrow or from transplanted perichondreum or periosteum. Bone-cartilage autografts and allografts transplanted into the cartilage defect heal primarily, but they loose their long-term biomechanical qualities because of transformation into fibrous cartilage. Cultivated human chondrocyte autografts may make cartilage healing possible in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Medical School of Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rudert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000502:physiology; D002356:Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*