[Engineering and characterization of functional osteochondral replacement tissue].
Extensive osteochondral lesions require repair of the cartilage and underlying bone. We generated osteochondral repair tissue by tissue engineering. Standardized defects, 7 x 5 x 5 mm, were created in femoropatellar grooves of adult rabbits. Engineered cartilage, generated in vitro starting from chondrocytes and a biodegradable scaffold, was implanted using Collagraft as subchondral support. Cell-free implants, defects left empty, and unoperated knee joints served as controls. Explants were characterized morphologically and mechanically. Engineered cartilage implants were superior to cell-free implants and to natural healing of empty defects with respect to the histologic score and Young's modulus of the 6-month repair tissue. These data suggest that engineered cartilage can provide primary stability for the treatment of critical osteochondral defects.
Schäfer
D
D
Institut für Chirurgische Forschung und Spitalmanagement, Kantonsspital Basel, Schweiz. dschaefer@uhbs.ch
Seidel
J
J
Martin
I
I
Jundt
G
G
Heberer
M
M
Grozinsky
A
A
Vunjak-Novakovic
G
G
Freed
L
L
D016723:Bone Remodeling; D002356:Cartilage / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D004548:Elasticity; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013718:Tensile Strength; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016474:Weight-Bearing