Rabbit ear cartilage regeneration with a small intestinal submucosa graft.
OBJECTIVE
The objective was to demonstrate that interpositional grafting with porcine small intestinal submucosa promotes cartilage regeneration following excision of rabbit auricular cartilage.


METHODS
Blinded, controlled study.


METHODS
Eight New Zealand white rabbits underwent excision of auricular cartilage on two sites with and two sites without preservation of perichondrium. Porcine small intestinal submucosa was implanted into one site with and one site without intact perichondrium. Remaining sites served as control sites. Histological assessment was performed at 3 (n = 4) and 6 (n = 3) months and at 1 year (n = 1) after grafting.


RESULTS
Histological evaluation showed cartilage regeneration accompanied by chronic inflammation in areas in which porcine small intestinal submucosa was implanted between layers of intact perichondrium. Other sites failed to show significant cartilage regeneration.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the study using porcine small intestinal submucosa as a bioscaffold for cartilage regeneration are promising and justify further animal and human studies.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Edmund.Pribitkin@jefferson.edu
Edmund A
EA
Pribitkin
Bryan T
BT
Ambro
Esa
E
Bloeden
Brian J
BJ
O'Hara
D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004431:Ear, External / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000473:pathology; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction / Q000473:pathology; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000473:pathology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology; D008866:Microsurgery; D011817:Rabbits; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D013552:Swine; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous