An Experimental Study on Allograft of Cryopreserved Articular Cartilage

Allograftingisaveryusefulmeansofreconstructingcartilage.Anattemptwasmadeto transplant a very thin cryopreserved articular cartilage film with no subchondra} bone into the recipient cartilage defect, with the aim of reducing tke rejection process. 1. Articular cartilage preserva£ion The kneejoints of adult rabbits were pretreated with various kiRds of cryopreservatives and saline, then rapidly cooled to -800C and stored for 2 months. Pretreatrnent with 5% DMSO was useful because £he columnar arrangement of the cartilage cells was maiRtained and a great number of typical cartilage cells were obsreved. 2. Transplantation of articular cartilage A thin circular shaped cartilage film (Smm in diameter) was removed from the condylar surface of the patello-femoraljoint aRd the weight bearing surface of the tibio-femoraljoint which was preserved for 2 inontks with 5% DMSO. The thin film was transplanted into the carti}age defect. No apparentimmunological rejection was revealed histologically. The success rate was 80% (32 out of 40 sites). Successful cartilage film allografting with no apparent rejection was obtained in the specimen fitted with no gap into the recipient cartilage bed and most frequently at the non-weight bearing cartilage surface.