The effect of tibial lengthening using the Ilizarov method on the cartilage and the menisci of the knee joint.
In order to investigate possible acute damage to the knee joint cartilage and the menisci during tibial lengthening, sixteen young beagle dogs underwent 30% lengthening of the right tibia of 2.5 cm by callus distraction at a distraction rate of twice 0.5 mm per day. A further four dogs comprised the control group with fixator and osteotomy but without lengthening. After a distraction period of 25 days half the dogs were killed (group A) while the other half (eight dogs with limb lengthening and two dogs without) were killed after a further period of 25 days (group B). At the end of the study, the menisci were removed together with three cartilage-bone cylinders from both femoral condyles from the weight-bearing zones as well as from the corresponding tibial condyles. Serial sections from the menisci were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Elastica van Gieson. Sections of the cartilage-bone cylinders were stained with H&E and safranin-O. Cartilage thickness was measured and the glycosaminoglycan content of the joint cartilage was determined using microspectrophotometry. None of the histological preparations obtained from the untreated and distracted sides showed any signs of damage to the cartilage or to the menisci. There were no significant differences between cartilage thickness and proteoglycan content of the untreated side and the lengthened side. Thus, tibial lengthening using the llizarov method does not appear to cause acute damage to the cartilage of the knee joint or to the menisci.
Fink
B
B
Orthopaedic Department, University-Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.
Schwinger
G
G
Singer
J
J
Sager
M
M
Wilke
C
C
Braunstein
S
S
D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D018889:Ilizarov Technique / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D013977:Tibia / Q000601:surgery*; D016474:Weight-Bearing