Using Xenogenic (Calf Foetal) Osteochondral Transplantation for Articular Cartilage Defect in Rabbit Model

Background: The destruction of articular cartilage is the major cause of articular problems. The articular cartilage has little repair postertial due to lack of perichondrium and direct blood circulation. It is, therefore important to consider this phenomena in surgical treatments. One of the articular cartilage reconstructive surgeries is using Osteo-Chondral graft. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the use of Xenogenic (calf foetal) Osteo-Chondral graft in repairing articular cartilage defect on Rabbit’s model. Methods: Osteo-Chondral pieces were prepared under aseptic condition from the joints by skin punch device and kept at a temperature of 70ºc below zero. Ten male New Zealand rabbits of one year old were randomly divided into two groups of five, as control and transplantation groups calf's fetal. The skin and joint capsule were opened by surgery and articular cartilage was exposed. After defect creation by drill, in the transplanted group an Osteo-Chondral piece was inserted in the defected area; however, in the control group the defect was created but left empty. Joint capsule and skin were sutured in both groups. During 60 days of study, radiographs were taken from rabbits of each group randomly to evaluation of osteoarthritis signs on days 14, 28 and 42. Finally all rabbits were euthanized for histopathological sampling and evaluated on day 60. Results: The result of the clinical evaluations did not show any sing of inflammation nor limping. In radiological evaluation there was no evidence of arthritis complications but showed defect filling signs in experimental group. In the histopathologic evaluations, the defect of transplanted group was filled with fibro-cartilage tissues and without any signs of graft rejection. In two samples of five specimens of transplanted group Fibrous tissue was the dominant tissue and in other two as the dominant tissue. Only in one sample of this group the integrity of the cartilage tissue was completely formed. But in the control group, the lesions were observed without any restorative tissue and only filled by red blood cells. Conclusion: The study suggests that Xenogenic Foetal Osteo-Chondral tissue is an effective tissue for repairing articular cartilage defects.