title: Preclinical evaluation of a novel implant for treatment of a full-thickness distal femoral focal cartilage defect.
abstract: A novel, nonresorbable, monolithic composite structure ceramic, developed using a partially stabilized zirconia ceramic common to implantable devices, was used in a cementless weight-bearing articular implant to test the feasibility of replacing a region of degenerated or damaged articular cartilage in the knee as part of a preclinical study using male mongrel dogs lasting up to 24 weeks. Gross/histological cartilage observations showed no differences among control, 12-week and 24-week groups, while pull-out tests showed an increase in maximum pull-out load over time relative to controls. Hence, the use of a novel ceramic implant as a replacement for a focal cartilage defect leads to effective implant fixation within 12 weeks and does not cause significant degradation in opposing articular cartilage in the time frame evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Research Laboratories, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Erik I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Waldorff
authors.forename: Blake J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Roessler
authors.forename: Terri A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Zachos
authors.forename: Bruce S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McHugh
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D002516:Ceramics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D062785:Hemiarthroplasty / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007595:Joint Prosthesis; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015040:Zirconium
chemical_list: D015040:Zirconium; C028541:zirconium oxide
keywords: animal model; cartilage wear; ceramic device; preclinical study; unicondylar hemiarthroplasty