Cartilage repair with autogenic perichondrium cell/polylactic acid grafts:A two-year study in rabbits

The repair of articular cartilage injuries remains a challenge. In this 2-y ear study, osteochondral defects in the femoral condyles of five rabbits we re repaired with an autogenic perichondrium cell/polylactic acid graft and compared with a contralateral control in which the defect remained empty Th e rabbits in the group with the grafts had a higher percentage of biologica lly acceptable repairs (100%) than did those in the control group (80%), Ac cording to the histologic and histomorphometric analyses, the grafts augmen ted the intrinsic healing. Nonetheless, the results for the grafts were tar nished by a depressed repair surface and a histologic appearance not equiva lent to that of normal cartilage. The application of growth factors to this model may yield a clinical treatment.