Mini-pig fresh osteochondral allografts deteriorate after 1 week of cold storage.
As a well-defined animal transplantation model, the mini-pig potentially is well-suited for large animal studies of fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation. This study was done to determine the histologic characteristics and function of proteoglycan synthesis of mini-pig articular cartilage after refrigeration in basal media for as much as 6 weeks. Osteochondral sections of 10 mini-pig knees were refrigerated in various media at 4 degrees C for 1 to 42 days after slaughter. Four hundred twenty samples were evaluated by 35S uptake and 260 samples by histologic evaluations. Proteoglycan synthesis declined by 7 days to 21% of the level measured on Day 1 and was undetectable at 42 days. Histologic evaluation revealed progressive degeneration. Mankin scores rose from 3.69 +/- 0.27 on Day 1 to 6.40 +/- 0.18 on Day 7, and logarithmically increased to 10.83 +/- 0.07 on Day 42. These results indicate that the metabolic characteristics of porcine articular cartilage were not retained after refrigeration in basal media for 7 days. Optimum cold storage of porcine osteochondral allografts for cartilage transplantation research may be less than 7 days. Because osteochondral grafts for clinical use currently are stored for greater than 7 days, similar studies of the viability of human articular cartilage are needed.
Rohde
Rachel S
RS
Cartilage Restoration Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA.
Studer
Rebecca K
RK
Chu
Constance R
CR
D000818:Animals; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000473:pathology; D002356:Cartilage / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D013997:Time Factors; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods