HIGH INTRINSIC HEALING POTENTIAL OF HUMAN ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT - ORGAN-CULTURE EXPERIMENTS

We studied the intrinsic healing capacity of human semitendinosus tend on specimens, comparing them to human anterior cruciate ligament speci mens collected at the time of ligament reconstructions, and using an o rgan culture model. On the day after cultivation, migration of cells a nd synthesis of collagen fibers were observed in the ligament group wi th preserved synovium (PS), the ligament group with resected synovium (RS), and the semitendinosus tendon group (ST). Migrating cells and ne wly-formed collagen fibers were most prominent in the PS group, follow ed by the RS, and ST groups. When the area occupied by the migrating c ells and newly-formed collagen fibers in the prepared hole was measure d, no differences were observed between the groups at week 2. However, differences were noted between the ST and PS or RS groups at weeks 4 and 6. Our findings indicate that the human anterior cruciate ligament possesses a high intrinsic healing capacity. It is also suggested tha t the synovium plays an important role in enhancing ligament healing c apacity.