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Comparison of repair between cartilage and osteocartilage defects in rabbits using similarly manipulated scaffold-free cartilage-like constructs

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Orthopaedic Science

Abstract

Background

Articular cartilage has a limited capacity for spontaneous repair, and its repair remains a clinical challenge. The purpose of this study was to prepare scaffold-free cartilage-like constructs and evaluate the feasibility of their use for the treatment of cartilage and osteocartilage defects in vivo.

Methods

The scaffold-free constructs were prepared by chondrocytes isolated from the articular cartilage of rabbits using a high-density three-dimensional culture system. Two different defects, i.e., a chondral defect without oozing blood and an osteochondral defect with oozing blood, of 4-mm diameter, were created on the patellar groove of rabbits and forwarded to in vivo trials. In each defect, the constructs cut into 4-mm-diameter cylinders were grafted at the bottom of the defects. As a control, defects were only made on the contralateral knee joint in each rabbit. At 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery, six rabbits in each group were evaluated macroscopically and histologically.

Results

In vitro, histological examination revealed that the constructs have the character of hyaline cartilage with a potential adhesiveness to surrounding tissue. In vivo, in two control groups, incomplete spontaneous cartilage repair was observed in the osteochondral defects, whereas no repair was observed in the chondral defects. In the two treated groups, the surviving constructs in chondral defects showed significantly better repair compared to those in osteochondral defects.

Conclusions

It is possible for a chondral defect to be repaired by scaffold-free constructs in certain conditions. Establishing the optimal environment suitable for cartilage repair is warranted.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge Yoko Uratani for her technical assistance and thank Takefumi Yamamoto (Central Research Laboratory, Shiga University of Medical Science) for technical support regarding histological examinations. We also thank Drs. Mitsuhiko Kubo and Fumiyoshi Kojima for their advice.

Conflict of interest

We did not have any financial or personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) our work. Neither we nor a member of our immediate families received payments or other benefits or a commitment or agreement to provide such benefits from a commercial entity. No commercial entity paid or directed, or agreed to pay or direct, any benefits to any research fund, foundation, division, center, clinical practice, or other charitable or nonprofit organization related to the authors or a member of their immediate families, are affiliated or associated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta, Tsukinowa-cho, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan

    Kazuhiro Oda, Kanji Mori, Shinji Imai, Kazuhiro Uenaka & Yoshitaka Matsusue

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  1. Kazuhiro Oda
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  2. Kanji Mori
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  3. Shinji Imai
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  4. Kazuhiro Uenaka
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  5. Yoshitaka Matsusue
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Correspondence to Kazuhiro Oda.

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Oda, K., Mori, K., Imai, S. et al. Comparison of repair between cartilage and osteocartilage defects in rabbits using similarly manipulated scaffold-free cartilage-like constructs. J Orthop Sci 19, 637–645 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-014-0574-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-014-0574-7

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