Reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament with a cyropreserved ACL allograft. A microangiographic and immunohistochemical study in rabbits.
The ACL in the rabbit is innervated by three types of nerve fibres. These subserve vasoconstriction, nociceptive and proprioceptive purposes. The aim of this paper was to investigate the revascularisation and reinnervation of cyropreserved ACL allografts in 22 New Zealand white rabbits. Cyropreserved grafts were used as they may excite less host immune response. Both microangiographic and immunohistochemical methods were used. We found that cryopreserved allografts exhibited little immune response, revascularisation was considerable by the 24th postoperative week and reinnervation was essentially complete by then. No mechanoreceptors were found in ACL allografts. In rabbits, the anatomical basis for the participation of ACL allografts in sensorimotor reflexes is not given before the twelfth week after transplantation.
Fromm
B
B
Orthopaedic University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Schäfer
B
B
Parsch
D
D
Kummer
W
W
D000818:Animals; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000098:blood supply / Q000294:innervation / Q000637:transplantation*; D015925:Cryopreservation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011817:Rabbits