title: Osteochondral articular defect repair using auricle-derived autologous chondrocytes in a rabbit model.
abstract: Hypothesizing that the implantation of non-articular (heterotopic) chondrocytes might be an alternative approach to support articular cartilage repair, we analyzed joint cartilage defect healing in the rabbit model after implantation of autologous auricle-derived (auricular) chondrocytes. Autologous lapine articular and auricular chondrocytes were cultured for 3 weeks in polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffolds before being implanted into critical sized osteochondral defects of the rabbit knee femoropatellar groove. Cell-free PGA scaffolds and empty defects served as controls. Construct quality was determined before implantation and defect healing was monitored after 6 and 12 weeks using vitality assays, macroscopical and histological score systems. Neo-cartilage was formed in the PGA constructs seeded with both articular and auricular chondrocytes in vitro and in vivo. At the histological level, cartilage repair was slightly improved when using autologous articular chondrocyte seeded constructs compared to empty defects and was significantly superior compared to defects treated with auricular chondrocytes 6 weeks after implantation. Although only the immunohistological differences were significant, auricular chondrocyte implantation induced an inferior healing response compared with the empty defects. Elastic auricular chondrocytes might maintain some tissue-specific characteristics when implanted into joint cartilage defects which limit its repair capacity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Charité-University of Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: anke.lohan@charite.de.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lohan
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Charité-University of Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Marzahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Charité-University of Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Karym
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: El Sayed
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Charité-University of Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haisch
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Charité-University of Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Riccarda Dolores
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Charité-University of Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kohl
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Charité-University of Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stölzel
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Charité-University of Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ertel
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Charité-University of Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: John
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Charité-University of Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Gundula
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schulze-Tanzil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000293:injuries*; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000637:transplantation*; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D054644:Ear Auricle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000473:pathology; D007596:Joints / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen
keywords: Articular; Auricular; Cartilage repair; Chondrocytes; Polyglycolic acid; Rabbit model