THE INFLUENCE OF COMPRESSIVE LOADING ON GROWTH OF CARTILAGE OF THE MANDIBULAR CONDYLE IN-VITRO

The purpose of this study was to clarify the change in mandibular cond yles under compressive loading. An organ-culture system of fetal rat m andibular condyles was used, and mechanical loading was generated by c ompressing the gas phase within a closed chamber. After the culture pe riod, with compressive loading, type I collagen and fibronectin were o bserved in the lower half of the hypertrophic chondrocyte layer in the mandibular condyles; in contrast, without compressive loading, there was no such reaction. The size of the condyle was not increased by com pressive loading. These results suggest that intermittent compressive loading could induce type I collagen and fibronectin production by cho ndrocytes. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.