Mechanical Behavior of Articular Cartilage after Osteochondral Autograft Transfer in an Ovine Model
- 1 April 2007
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in The American Journal of Sports Medicine
- Vol. 35 (4), 555-563
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546506296311
Abstract
Background Grafting of autologous hyaline cartilage and bone for articular cartilage repair is a well-accepted technique. Although encouraging midterm clinical results have been reported, no information on the mechanical competence of the transplanted joint surface is available. Hypothesis The mechanical competence of osteochondral autografts is maintained after transplantation. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods Osteochondral defects were filled with autografts (7.45 mm in diameter) in one femoral condyle in 12 mature sheep. The ipsilateral femoral condyle served as the donor site, and the resulting defect (8.3 mm in diameter) was left empty. The repair response was examined after 3 and 6 months with mechanical and histologic assessment and histomorphometric techniques. Results Good surface congruity and plug placement was achieved. The Young modulus of the grafted cartilage significantly dropped to 57.5% of healthy tissue after 3 months (P < .05) but then recovered to 82.2% after 6 months. The aggregate and dynamic moduli behaved similarly. The graft edges showed fibrillation and, in some cases (4 of 6), hypercellularity and chondrocyte clustering. Subchondral bone sclerosis was observed in 8 of 12 cases, and the amount of mineralized bone in the graft area increased from 40% to 61%. Conclusions The mechanical quality of transplanted cartilage varies considerably over a short period of time, potentially reflecting both degenerative and regenerative processes, while histologically signs of both cartilage and bone degeneration occur. Clinical Relevance Both the mechanically degenerative and restorative processes illustrate the complex progression of regeneration after osteochondral transplantation. The histologic evidence raises doubts as to the long-term durability of the osteochondral repair.Keywords
This publication has 51 references indexed in Scilit:
- Hyaline cartilage degenerates after autologous osteochondral transplantationJournal of Orthopaedic Research, 2004
- Follow-Up of Osteochondral Plug Transfers in a Goat ModelThe American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2004
- Articular cartilage repair: basic science and clinical progress. A review of the current status and prospectsOsteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2002
- Altered mechanics and histomorphometry of canine tibial cartilage following joint immobilizationOsteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2001
- Compositional and metabolic changes in damaged cartilage are peak‐stress, stress‐rate, and loading‐duration dependentJournal of Orthopaedic Research, 1999
- Fresh osteochondral allografts at the knee joint: good functional results in a follow-up study of more than 15 yearsArchives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery, 1997
- Changes in proteoglycan synthesis of chondrocytes in articular cartilage are associated with the time-dependent changes in their mechanical environmentJournal of Biomechanics, 1995
- The role of cartilage streaming potential, fluid flow and pressure in the stimulation of chondrocyte biosynthesis during dynamic compressionJournal of Biomechanics, 1995
- Biphasic indentation of articular cartilage—I. Theoretical analysisJournal of Biomechanics, 1987
- Indentation Study of the Biomechanical Properties of Articular Cartilage in the Canine KneeEngineering in Medicine, 1987