Fixation of Tissue-Engineered Human Neocartilage Constructs with Human Fibrin in a Caprine Model

ABSTRACT

The primary objective of this study was to determine the retention rate of neocartilage constructs in caprine full-thickness cartilage defects by fibrin sealant alone. Two defects, one each on the trochlea and the medial femoral condyle, were created in the stifle joint in 12 goats. Eight goats (16 defects) were treated with neocartilage constructs and 4 goats (8 defects) with fibrin glue alone. Postoperative activity was protected weight bearing for 6 weeks and then unrestricted for 18 weeks. At 24-week procurement, 4 neocartilage constructs were retained in 8 medial femoral defects and 4 in 8 trochlear defects. In gross comparison, the defects that retained the construct had a mean grade significantly higher than defects treated with fibrin glue alone. The mean histological score of defects with retained constructs was also higher than those treated with fibrin sealant alone. There was no appreciable immunologic reaction to the human neocartilage xenograft or human fibrin sealant.

[J Knee Surg. 2009;22:196-204.]

AUTHORS

Drs Lewis and Kang are from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr Williams is from the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Dr Cole is from the Department of Orthopedics, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Ill; Dr McCarty is from Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists, Minneapolis, Minn; and Dr Yao is from Cartilage and Soft Tissue Biologics R&D, Zimmer Inc, Austin, Tex.

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Financial support of this study was provided by Zimmer Inc in the form of a research grant, and the neocartilage constructs were supplied by ISTO Technologies Inc.

Correspondence: Brian J. Cole, MD, MBA, Rush University Medical Center, 1725 West Harrison Street, Suite 1063, Chicago, IL 60612.