title: BIORESORBABLE POLYMERIC MENISCAL PROSTHESIS: STUDY IN RABBITS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To induce growth of a neomeniscus into the pores of a prosthesis in order to protect the knee joint cartilage.
  
  
  METHODS
  70 knees of 35 New Zealand rabbits were operated. The rabbits were five to seven months old, weighed 2 to 3.8 kilograms, and 22 were male and 13 were female. Each animal underwent medial meniscectomy in both knees during a single operation. A bioabsorbable polymeric meniscal prosthesis composed of 70% polydioxanone and 30% L-lactic acid polymer was implanted in one side. The animals were sacrificed after different postoperative time intervals. The femoral condyles and neomeniscus were subjected to histological analysis. Histograms were used to measure the degradation and absorption of the prosthesis, the growth of meniscal tissue in the prosthesis and the degree of degradation of the femoral condyle joint cartilage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data obtained showed that tissue growth histologically resembling a normal meniscus occurred, with gradual absorption of the prosthesis, and the percentages of chondrocytes on the control side and prosthesis side.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tissue growth into the prosthesis pores that histologically resembled the normal rabbit meniscus was observed. The joint cartilage of the femoral condyles on the prosthesis side presented greater numbers of chondrocytes in all its layers.
authors.affiliation: PhD from the School of Medicine of the University of Sao Paulo; Collaborating Research in the Biomaterials Laboratory, Medical and Biological Sciences Center of Sorocaba, Catholic Pontificate University of Sao Paulo.
authors.forename: Tulio Pereira
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Titular Professor of the Department of Biology; Head of the Biomaterials Laboratory, Medical and Biological Sciences Center of Sorocaba, Catholic Pontificate University of Sao Paulo.
authors.forename: Eliana Aparecida
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: de Rezende Duek
authors.affiliation: Emeritus Professor of the School of Medicine of the University of Sao Paulo.
authors.forename: Marco Martins
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Amatuzzi
authors.affiliation: Titular Professor, Department of Surgery, Discipline of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medical and Biological Sciences Center of Sorocaba, Catholic Pontificate University of Sao Paulo.
authors.forename: Edie Benedito
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Caetano
keywords: Cartilage; Knee; Prostheses and implants