engleski

Bioreactor-engineered cartilage graft for osteochondral knee lesion – study in sheep

The aim of this study was to apply bioreactor engineered tissue graft for the treatment of osteochondral defects in sheep stifle joint, thus enabling cartilage and subchondral bone restoration. 8 sheep were assigned to 4 treatment groups. All sheep underwent two surgical procedures. During the first procedure, chondral defects 4 mm in diameter were created on the weight bearing surfaces of both condyles of the right femur. After six weeks, all chondral defects were converted to osteochondral defects 6 mm in diameter and 5 mm deep. In groups NC (n=2) and AC (n=2) autologous three-dimensional osteochondral grafts engineered in perfusion bioreactor from bilayered scaffolds and nasal septum chondrocytes or articular chondrocytes respectively were implanted in the defect. In the CFS group (n=2) only bilayered scaffolds were implanted while CTR group (n=2) underwent defect conversion only (negative control). Three months after treatment surgery, all sheep were sacrificed and tissue blocks were obtained for histology analysis. The samples were fixed in 4% buffered paraformaldehyde and decalcified in 15% EDTA. Paraffin blocks were sectioned at 5 µm and stained with hematoxylin-eosin, safranin O and picrosirius Red. Immunohistochemistry was performed against collagen type I, II and aggrecan. Histology was evaluated with ICRS II histological score. Overall results showed that cartilage restoration was the best in NC group. Matrix staining, ICRS II parameter, scored superiorly in NC group (p<0.05). The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n°278807.

bioreactor ; tissue engineering ; cartilage ; knee

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