CELL-SURVIVAL FOLLOWING BONE ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT BONE ALLOGRAFT TRANSPLANTATION - DNA FINGERPRINTS, SEGREGATION, AND COLLAGEN MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE MARKERS IN THE CANINE MODEL

Bone-anterior cruciate ligament-bone allograft transplantation has bec ome recognized as a potential solution to reconstruction of the anteri or cruciate ligament (ACL). The purpose of this study was to determine the time-dependent fibrocyte donor cell survival rate after cryoprese rved bone-ACL-bone allograft transplantation, Additionally, bony incor poration of the pediculated bone plugs was examined. The ability to su ccessfully transplant allogenous ACL fibrocytes and have them survive has not previously been documented. In this study, DNA finger-prints i dentified and documented the survival rate of the cellular DNA in tran splanted ACL allografts fur ACL reconstruction in the knee joints of 1 0 skeletally nature dogs. At 4, 8, 26 and 52 weeks after ACL allograft transplantation, DNA probes, H & E, Giemsa, Goldner; PAS and polarize d light staining was done to demonstrate the time-dependent changes in the allografts after transplantation. At 4 weeks host fibrocytes bega n to grow into the graft: however, histologically the cells could not be distinguished as to host or donor origin. After 1 weeks the DNA pat tern reflected only the band pattern of the host. This reveals the ear ly cellular infiltration activity of the host into the ACL allograft, also demonstrated in the light microscopy standings. The survival rate of transplanted allogenous ACL fibrocytes had not been documented bef ore this study. There is no evidence that ACL allograft cells survive in the intra-articular environment of the host's knee. Within 4 weeks ACL allografts became completely repopulated with host cells. The cell s that migrate early into the ACL allografts are probably of survival origin because they are present before revascularization and collagen reorganization occur. We conclude from this study that viable cells in transplanted ACL allografts did not survive longer than 4 weeks after intra-articular transplantation. Advances in molecular biology may of fer new approaches to alter or stimulate fibrocyte population and func tion in the transplanted ACL allograft used for ACL reconstruction, Ne w methods to maintain the viability of donor cells may be necessary to improve the biomechanical and histological properties of autografts o r allografts for ACL reconstruction.