title: A comparative study of the areas of osteochondral defects produced in femoral condyles of rabbits treated with sugar cane biopolymer gel.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the histological response of damaged osteochondral tissue in the femoral condyles of rabbits after repairing the wounds with sugar cane biopolymer gel - compared to the control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study investigated 16 New Zealand rabbits, at 90, 120 and 180 days after surgery. In all the animals, a lesion of 3.2 mm in diameter and 4 mm deep was induced in each right and left femoral condyle. Each animal has provided both knees, divided into medial and lateral condyle, resulting in 64 samples. 32 knees were divided into two groups: Right knee, medial and lateral condyles, filled with biopolymer; Left knee, medial and lateral condyles, unfilled. The anatomical specimens were removed, and subjected to histological techniques and morphometric and statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all the periods of the group under study an inflammatory reaction mediated by giant cells and mononuclear cells was found, while in the control group there was early healing produced by fibroblasts and few mononuclear cells with statistical significance between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The biopolymer gel caused an inflammatory reaction mediated by giant cells and mononuclear cells while the control group there was cicatrization mediated by fibroblasts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Cezar Vidal Carneiro de
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Lamartine de Andrade
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nicodemos Teles de
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Pontes Filho
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberto José Vieira de
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Clarissa Miranda Carneiro de Albuquerque
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Olbertz
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula Eduarda Miranda Carneiro de
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.affiliation: UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvânia Tavares
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Paz
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessandro Henrique da Silva
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carina Scanoni
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Maia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D005269:Femur / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D005782:Gels / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D011817:Rabbits; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D031786:Saccharum / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D005782:Gels