title: Comparative study of the areas of osteochondral defects produced in the femoral condyles of rabbits treated with gel of sugarcane biopolymer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the healed areas of osteochondral defects produced in femoral condyles of rabbits filled with biopolymer sugar cane gel and to compare these with those of the control group at 90, 120 and 180 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  A study was made of 16 New Zealand rabbits, 6 and 7 months old, weighing between 2 and 2.5 kg. Defects of 3.2 x 4 mm were made, with trephine, in the femoral condyles of the right and left knees. As to the study group defects of the medial and lateral condyles of the right knee were used which were filled with Biopolymer Sugar Cane Gel; as to the Control Group defects of the medial and lateral condyles of the left t knees were used which were left open for natural healing. The defects were analyzed at 90, 120 and 180 days after surgery. After euthanasia, the knees were removed and fixed in Bouin's solution for later digital photographic documentation with a digital camera. The areas healed were measured in both the study and control groups using the images obtained from an Image-J(®) program. Statistical analysis was conducted using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between the means of the healed areas in the study and control groups at 90, 120 and 180 days after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The dimension of the healed areas of the defects treated with the biopolymer sugar-cane gel in the study group was similar to those of the control group, which healed naturally.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil. paulovidal_@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Paulo Cezar Vidal Carneiro de
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.forename: José Lamartine de Andrade
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.forename: Saulo Monteiro dos
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Nicodemus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pontes Filho
authors.forename: Roberto José Vieira de
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.forename: Mariana Lúcia Correia Ramos
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Clarissa Miranda Carneiro de
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.forename: Tarciana Mendonça de S
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Alessandro Henrique da Silva
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Joacil Carlos da
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries*; D005269:Femur / Q000293:injuries*; D005782:Gels / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018514:Plant Structures / Q000737:chemistry; D011817:Rabbits; D031786:Saccharum / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D005782:Gels