Repair of meniscus injury with tissue engineered cartilage in rabbits

Jianyi XIONG; Daping WANG; Jiande XIAO

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The free border of meniscus is avascular portion, for which, it is not susceptible for the meniscus to be cured naturally after injury. Therefore, it is necessary to induce fibrous tissue healing probably under certain situation.

OBJECTIVE:

To adopt tissue engineered cartilage and fibrin adhesive to treat meniscus injury in avascular portion and compare the results.

DESIGN:

Randomized group division and blank control experiment was designed.

SETTING:

Animal Laboratory of a Shenzhen Second People's Hospital.green-purplish-blue adult rabbits were selected, randomized into 3 groups,12 rabbits in each, named blank control, fibrin adhesive group(FA group)and tissue engineered cartilage group(TE-C group).

METHODS:

The experiment was performed in Animal Laboratory of Shenzhen Second People's Hospital from September 2003 to March 2004.Ten baby rabbits borne in 3 to 5 days were sacrificed to collect fibrochondrocytes for culture so as to prepare tissue engineered cartilage containing 12 × 108 L-1chondrocytes. Thirty-six adult rabbits were prepared into the injured model in avascular portion of meniscus (0. 7 × 0. 3) cm with full-thickness laceration. In blank control, no any filler was applied for management; in FA group, fibrin adhesive was infused in laceration; and in TE-C group, tissue engineered cartilage was infused in laceration. Four animals of each of 3 groups were sacrificed in the 2nd, 6th and 12th weeks after operation. Eight menisci were collected in each group each time for gross morphological observation and histological examination.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

Gross morphological observation and histological examination in injured meniscus model of rabbit.logical observation in injured meniscus model of rabbit In blank control, the splits in meniscus were not been healed and tissue filler was not apparent. In FA and TE-C groups, the splits had been filled up with tissue fillers comblank control, 2 to 12 weeks after operation, there was chondrocyte proliferation presented on the border of splits. In FA group, 12 weeks after operation, on the defect border, there were many fibroblastic cells that closely adhered to adjacent tissue, resulting in scar tissue healing. In TE-C group,12 weeks after operation, cartilage cavities and capsule were apparent in the defect and chondrocftes were in cell condensation.

CONCLUSION:

Tissue engineered cartilage is survived in the acceptors, resulting in fibrocartilaginous healing and specific biological label of chondrocytes. But the remarkable difference presents in collagen arrangement among the repaired tissue, adjacent normal meniscus tissue and normal cartilage.