Time evolution of in vivo articular cartilage repair induced by bone marrow stimulation and scaffold implantation in rabbits

Purpose: Tissue engineering techniques were used to study cartilage repair over a 12-month period in a rabbit model. Methods: A full-depth chondral defect along with subchondral bone injury were originated in the knee joint, where a biostable porous scaffold was implanted, synthesized of poly(ethyl acrylate-co-hydroxyethyl acrylate) copolymer. Morphological evolution of cartilage repair was studied 1 and 2 weeks, and 1, 3, and 12 months after implantation by histological techniques. The 3-month group was chosen to compare cartilage repair to an additional group where scaffolds were preseeded with allogeneic chondrocytes before implantation, and also to controls, who underwent the same surgery procedure, with no scaffold implantation. Results: Neotissue growth was first observed in the deepest scaffold pores 1 week after implantation, which spread thereafter; 3 months later scaffold pores were filled mostly with cartilaginous tissue in superficial and middle zones, and with bone tissue adjacent to subchondral bone. Simultaneously, native chondrocytes at the edges of the defect started to proliferate 1 week after implantation; within a month those edges had grown centripetally and seemed to embed the scaffold, and after 3 months, hyaline-like cartilage was observed on the condylar surface. Preseeded scaffolds slightly improved tissue growth, although the quality of repair tissue was similar to non-preseeded scaffolds. Controls showed that fibrous cartilage was mainly filling the repair area 3 months after surgery. In the 12-month group, articular cartilage resembled the untreated surface. Conclusions: Scaffolds guided cartilaginous tissue growth in vivo, suggesting their importance in stress transmission to the cells for cartilage repair.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through MAT2010-21611-C03-00 project (including the FEDER financial support), by Conselleria de Educacion (Generalitat Valenciana, Spain) PROMETEO/2011/084 grant, and by CIBER-BBN en Bioingenieria, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina. The work of JLGR was partially supported by funds from the Generalitat Valenciana, ACOMP/2012/075 project. CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions and financed by the - Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund.Sancho-Tello Valls, M.; Forriol, F.; Gastaldi, P.; Ruiz Sauri, A.; Martín De Llano, JJ.; Novella-Maestre, E.; Antolinos Turpín, CM.... (2015). 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Scientific Evidence Base for Cartilage Injury and Repair in the Athlete

Soccer players and athletes in high-impact sports are frequently affected by knee injuries. Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament and menisci are frequently observed in soccer players and may increase the risk of developing an articular cartilage lesion. In high-level athletes, the overall prevalence of knee articular cartilage lesions has been reported to be 36% to 38%. The treatment for athletic patients with articular cartilage lesions is often challenging because of the high demands placed on the repair tissue by impact sports. Cartilage defects in athletes can be treated with microfracture, osteochondral grafting, and autologous chondrocyte implantation. There is increasing scientific evidence for cartilage repair in athletes, with more extensive information available for microfracture and autologous chondrocyte implantation than for osteochondral grafting. The reported rates and times to return to sport at the preinjury level are variable in recreational players, with the best results seen in younger and high-level athletes. Better return to sport is consistently observed for all repair techniques with early cartilage repair. Besides minimizing sensorimotor deficits and addressing accompanying pathologies, the quality of the repair tissue may be a significant factor for the return to sport. </jats:p

Results after microfracture of full-thickness chondral defects in different compartments in the knee

SummaryObjectiveTo determine if the clinical results after microfracture of full-thickness cartilage lesions deteriorate over a period of 36 months.MethodsBetween 1999 and 2002 85 patients (mean age 39.5 years) with full-thickness cartilage lesions underwent the microfracture procedure and were evaluated preoperatively and 6, 18 and 36 months after surgery. Exclusion criteria were meniscal pathologies, axial malpositioning and ligament instabilities. Baseline clinical scores were compared with follow-up data by paired Wilcoxon-tests for the modified Cincinnati knee and the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS)-score. The effects of the lesion localization and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters were evaluated using the Pearson correlation and independent samples tests.ResultsBoth scores revealed significant improvement 18 months after microfracture (P<0.0001). Within the second 18 months after surgery there was a significant deterioration in the ICRS-score (P<0.0001). The best results could be observed in chondral lesions of the femoral condyles. Defects in other areas of the knee deteriorated between 18 and 36 months after microfracture. MRI 36 months after surgery revealed best defect filling in lesions on the femoral condyles with significant difference in the other areas (P<0.02). The Pearson coefficient of correlation between defect filling and ICRS-score was 0.84 and significant at the 0.01 level.ConclusionsMicrofracture is a minimal invasive method with good short-term results in the treatment of small cartilage defects. A deterioration of the results starts 18 months after surgery and is most evident in the ICRS-score. The best prognostic factors have young patients with defects on the femoral condyles

Human chondroprogenitors in alginate-collagen hybrid scaffolds produce stable cartilage in vivo.

The goal of this study was to evaluate human epiphyseal chondroprogenitor cells (ECPs) as a potential new cell source for cartilage regeneration. ECPs were compared to human bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) and human adult articular chondrocytes (ACs) for their chondrogenic potential and phenotypic stability in vitro and in vivo. The cells were seeded in Optimaix-3D scaffolds at 5 × 10 &lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; cells/mm &lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; and gene expression, matrix production and mechanical properties were analysed up to 6 weeks. In vitro, ECPs synthesized consistently high collagen 2 and low collagen 10. AC-seeded constructs exhibited high donor variability in GAG/DNA values as well as in collagen 2 staining, but showed low collagen 10 production. MSCs, on the other hand, expressed high levels of collagen 2 but also of collagens 1 and 10, and were therefore not considered further. In vivo, there was considerable loss of matrix proteins in ECPs compared to in vitro cultured samples. To overcome this, a second implantation study investigated the effect of mixing cells with alginate prior to seeding in the scaffold. ECPs in alginate maintained their cartilage matrix and resisted mineralization and vessel infiltration better 6 weeks after subcutaneous implantation, whereas ACs lost their chondrogenic matrix completely. This study shows the great potential of ECPs as an off-the-shelf, highly chondrogenic cell type that produces stable cartilage in vivo. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd