title: Full-thickness cartilage defects are repaired via a microfracture technique and intraarticular injection of the small-molecule compound kartogenin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microfracture does not properly repair full-thickness cartilage defects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of intraarticular injection of the small-molecule compound kartogenin (KGN) on the restoration of a full-thickness cartilage defect treated with microfracture in a rabbit model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Full-thickness cartilage defects (3.5 mm in diameter and 3 mm in depth) were created in the patellar groove of the right femurs of 24 female New Zealand White rabbits. The rabbits were divided into two groups (12 in each group) based on postsurgery treatment differences, as follows: microfracture plus weekly intraarticular injection of KGN (group 1) and microfracture plus dimethyl sulfoxide (group 2). Six rabbits from each group were illed at 4 and 12 weeks after surgery, and their knees were harvested. The outcome was assessed both macroscopically, by using the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) macroscopic evaluation system, and histologically, by using the modified O'Driscoll histologic scoring system. Immunohistochemistry for type II and I collagen was also conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 4 weeks, group 1 showed better defect filling and a greater number of chondrocyte-like cells compared with group 2. At 12 weeks, group 1 showed statistically significantly higher ICRS scores and modified O'Driscoll scores compared with group 2. More hyaline cartilage-like tissue was found in the defects of group 1 at 12 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intraarticular injection of KGN enhances the quality of full-thickness cartilage defects repair after microfracture, with better defect filling and increased hyaline-like cartilage formation.
authors: The Center of Diagnosis and Treatment for Joint Disease, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School, Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China. xuxingquan12345@163.com.|Joint Research Center for Bone and Joint Disease, Model Animal Research Center (MARC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, Jiangsu, China. xuxingquan12345@163.com.
authors: Xingquan
authors: X
authors: Xu
authors: The Center of Diagnosis and Treatment for Joint Disease, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School, Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China. shidongquan1215@163.com.|Joint Research Center for Bone and Joint Disease, Model Animal Research Center (MARC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, Jiangsu, China. shidongquan1215@163.com.
authors: Dongquan
authors: D
authors: Shi
authors: The Center of Diagnosis and Treatment for Joint Disease, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School, Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China. shenyeshuaisys@163.com.|Joint Research Center for Bone and Joint Disease, Model Animal Research Center (MARC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, Jiangsu, China. shenyeshuaisys@163.com.
authors: Yeshuai
authors: Y
authors: Shen
authors: The Center of Diagnosis and Treatment for Joint Disease, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School, Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China. xuzhihongjoint@hotmail.com.
authors: Zhihong
authors: Z
authors: Xu
authors: The Center of Diagnosis and Treatment for Joint Disease, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School, Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China. daijin.nju@gmail.com.|Joint Research Center for Bone and Joint Disease, Model Animal Research Center (MARC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, Jiangsu, China. daijin.nju@gmail.com.
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: Dai
authors: The Center of Diagnosis and Treatment for Joint Disease, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School, Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China. amoysun@hotmail.com.
authors: Dongyang
authors: D
authors: Chen
authors: Joint Research Center for Bone and Joint Disease, Model Animal Research Center (MARC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, Jiangsu, China. tenghj@hotmail.com.
authors: Huajian
authors: H
authors: Teng
authors: The Center of Diagnosis and Treatment for Joint Disease, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School, Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China. qingj@nju.edu.cn.|Joint Research Center for Bone and Joint Disease, Model Animal Research Center (MARC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, Jiangsu, China. qingj@nju.edu.cn.
authors: Qing
authors: Q
authors: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000813:Anilides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D050724:Fractures, Cartilage / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular / Q000379:methods; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D023421:Models, Animal; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000813:Anilides; D010795:Phthalic Acids; C572342:kartogenin
references: Clin Plast Surg. 1994 Jul;21(3):429-35
references: 7924141
references: J Orthop Res. 2014 May;32(5):669-76
references: 24436147
references: Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ). 1999 Feb;28(2):88-96
references: 10067711
references: J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2005 Sep;87(9):1911-20
references: 16140804
references: Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2006 Nov;14(11):1119-25
references: 16815714
references: Biomaterials. 2007 Dec;28(36):5570-80
references: 17897710
references: Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2007 Dec;15(12):1397-402
references: 17604187
references: Injury. 2008 Apr;39 Suppl 1:S26-31
references: 18313469
references: J Orthop Res. 2009 Oct;27(10):1353-60
references: 19382184
references: Am J Sports Med. 2009 Oct;37(10):2053-63
references: 19251676
references: Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2010 Jul;18(7):971-80
references: 20433936
references: Tissue Eng. 2001 Jun;7(3):313-20
references: 11429151
references: J Knee Surg. 2002 Summer;15(3):170-6
references: 12152979
references: Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2003 Feb;(407):215-27
references: 12567150
references: J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1980 Jan;62(1):79-89
references: 7351420
references: J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1993 Apr;75(4):532-53
references: 8478382
references: Lancet. 2010 Aug 7;376(9739):440-8
references: 20692530
references: Curr Drug Saf. 2010 Oct;5(4):308-13
references: 20615174
references: Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2010 Nov;18(11):1456-64
references: 20127072
references: Endocr Dev. 2011;21:102-15
references: 21865759
references: J Orthop Res. 2012 Jun;30(6):943-9
references: 22147634
references: Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2012 May;20(5):357-63
references: 22353692
references: Science. 2012 May 11;336(6082):717-21
references: 22491093
references: Eur J Radiol. 2012 Jul;81(7):1618-24
references: 21684098
references: Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2012 Jul;20(7):1398-403
references: 22205098
references: Regen Med. 2012 Jul;7(4):535-49
references: 22817627
references: Biomaterials. 2013 Jan;34(3):713-23
references: 23107295
references: Biomaterials. 2013 Feb;34(5):1478-87
references: 23182922
references: Curr Pharm Des. 2013;19(19):3403-19
references: 23432670
references: Am J Knee Surg. 1998 Winter;11(1):42-6
references: 9533054