| HOME | HELP | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
|
|
|
|||||||
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools. |
|||||||||
From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Northwestern Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
* Address correspondence to Ellis K. Nam, MD, Chicago Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, 104 S. Michigan Ave. Suite 316, Chicago, IL 60603 (e-mail: ellisnam{at}aol.com).
Background: Biomechanical and histological properties of osteochondral transplantation have not been extensively examined.
Hypothesis: Osteochondral grafts have properties similar to native articular cartilage.
Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.
Methods: A 2.7 mm (diameter) x 4.0 mm (depth) osteochondral defect was created in 17 New Zealand white rabbit knees. An osteochondral graft, harvested from the contralateral knee, was transplanted into the defect. Eight rabbits were sacrificed each at 6 and 8 weeks.
Results: The 12-week grafts (1213.6 ± 309.0 N/mm) had significantly higher stiffness than the 6-week grafts (483.1 ± 229.1 N/mm; P < .001) and of normal cartilage (774.8 ± 117.1 N/mm; P < .003). Stiffness of the 6-week grafts was significantly lower than normal cartilage (P < .036). At all time points, full-thickness defects had significantly lower stiffness than normal cartilage (P < .001). Histologically, transplanted grafts scored significantly higher than the full-thickness defects (P < .001). The defects showed inconsistent, fibrocartilage healing. The grafts demonstrated cartilage viability, yet with a persistent cleft between the graft and host.
Conclusions: Osteochondral transplants undergo increased stiffness in the short term, with evidence of structurally intact grafts.
Clinical Relevance: Osteochondral transplantation may be a viable treatment option; however, long-term investigation on graft function is necessary.
Key Words: cartilage • osteochondral transplantation • biomechanic • histologic • knee
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. E. Steiner, M. M. Murray, and S. A. Rodeo Strategies to Improve Anterior Cruciate Ligament Healing and Graft Placement Am. J. Sports Med., January 1, 2008; 36(1): 176 - 189. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. K. Williams, D. Amiel, S. T. Ball, R. T. Allen, W. L. Tontz Jr, B. C. Emmerson, N. M. Badlani, S. C. Emery, P. Haghighi, and W. D. Bugbee Analysis of Cartilage Tissue on a Cellular Level in Fresh Osteochondral Allograft Retrievals Am. J. Sports Med., December 1, 2007; 35(12): 2022 - 2032. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. U. Kleemann, H. Schell, M. Thompson, D. R. Epari, G. N. Duda, and A. Weiler Mechanical Behavior of Articular Cartilage After Osteochondral Autograft Transfer in an Ovine Model Am. J. Sports Med., April 1, 2007; 35(4): 555 - 563. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. E. Scranton Jr, C. C. Frey, and K. S. Feder Outcome of osteochondral autograft transplantation for type-V cystic osteochondral lesions of the talus J Bone Joint Surg Br, May 1, 2006; 88-B(5): 614 - 619. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. T. Burks, P. E. Greis, S. P. Arnoczky, and C. Scher The Use of a Single Osteochondral Autograft Plug in the Treatment of a Large Osteochondral Lesion in the Femoral Condyle: An Experimental Study in Sheep Am. J. Sports Med., February 1, 2006; 34(2): 247 - 255. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. W. Alford and B. J. Cole Cartilage Restoration, Part 1: Basic Science, Historical Perspective, Patient Evaluation, and Treatment Options Am. J. Sports Med., February 1, 2005; 33(2): 295 - 306. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
