title: [Biomechanical properties of articular cartilage after high hydrostatic pressure treatment].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Reconstruction of bone defects due to malignant tumors can be realized by several methods. Up to now, two methods, irradiation and autoclaving, are available for extracorporeally devitalizing resected tumor-bearing osteochondral segments. Previous investigations have shown that human normal and tumor cells in culture were irreversibly impaired when subjected to extracorporeal high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) of 350 MPa. The aim of this study was to examine the biomechanical and immunohistochemical properties of cartilage after exposure to HHP MATERIALS AND METHODS: Osteochondral segments of bovine femoral condyles were exposed to pressure of 300 and 600 MPa (n=20 each). Biomechanical and biological properties of untreated and treated segments were evaluated by repetitive ball indention testing and immunohistochemical labelling aggrecan, link protein and collagen II. The contralateral segments served as untreated control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant alterations concerning stiffness and relaxation of osteochondral segments even after 600 MPa were observed. Immunohistochemically, staining was positive in all cases and no differences in the labeling pattern of proteoglycanes were observed between untreated and HHP-treated specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings give hope that HHP eventually will be used as a new gentle way of treating resected cartilage and bone without alteration of biomechanical properties to inactivate tumor cells in order to allow autologous reimplantation.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Orthopädie und Sportorthopädie, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München, Deutschland. p.diehl@lrz.tum.de
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Diehl
authors.forename: Florian-Dominique
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Naal
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schauwecker
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Steinhauser
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milz
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gollwitzer
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mittelmeier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000379:methods*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D004548:Elasticity; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D013314:Stress, Mechanical