The effect of growth factors on biomechanical properties of the bone-patellar tendon-bone graft after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a canine model study.
BACKGROUND
No studies have dealt with the effect of growth factors on the free tendon autograft in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.


OBJECTIVE
Application of exogenous transforming growth factor-beta and epidermal growth factor may affect the structural properties and histology of the bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.


METHODS
Controlled laboratory study.


METHODS
Twenty dogs underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with the autogenous bone-patellar tendon-bone graft in bilateral knees. In 10 animals, 12 ng transforming growth factor-beta and 300 ng epidermal growth factor mixed with fibrin sealant of 0.6 mL were applied to the left knee. In the remaining 10 dogs, fibrin sealant alone was applied to the left knee. No additional treatments were applied to the right knee.


RESULTS
The growth factor application increased the stiffness and maximum failure load of the femur-graft-tibia complex at 12 weeks (P =.016 and P =.012, respectively); the sham treatment did not significantly affect them. Histologically, most of the cells in the grafts treated with growth factors had spindle-shaped nuclei; cells in the other grafts had round-shaped nuclei.


CONCLUSIONS
Application of transforming growth factor-beta and epidermal growth factor improves the structural properties of the autograft after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in the canine model.


CONCLUSIONS
Application of growth factors is a possible strategy to prevent graft deterioration in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
Yasuda
Kazunori
K
Department of Sports Medicine and Joint Reconstruction Surgery, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Kita-ku, Kita-15, Nishi-7, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Tomita
Fumihisa
F
Yamazaki
Shuji
S
Minami
Akio
A
Tohyama
Harukazu
H
D000818:Animals; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D004285:Dogs; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D023421:Models, Animal; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013710:Tendons / Q000637:transplantation*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D003094:Collagen