Premium
Hyaluronan‐based polymers in the treatment of osteochondral defects
Author(s) -
Solchaga Luis A.,
Yoo Jung U.,
Lundberg Magnus,
Dennis James E.,
Huibregtse Barbara A.,
Goldberg Victor M.,
Caplan Arnold I.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of orthopaedic research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.041
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1554-527X
pISSN - 0736-0266
DOI - 10.1002/jor.1100180515
Subject(s) - hyaline cartilage , chondrogenesis , cartilage , hyaline , regeneration (biology) , hyaluronic acid , condyle , anatomy , biomedical engineering , tissue engineering , histology , femoral condyle , fibrocartilage , materials science , medicine , pathology , articular cartilage , osteoarthritis , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , alternative medicine
Articular cartilage in adults has limited ability for self‐repair. Some methods devised to augment the natural healing response stimulate some regeneration, but the repair is often incomplete and lacks durability. Hyaluronan‐based polymers were tested for their ability to enhance the natural healing response. It is hypothesized that hyaluronan‐based polymers recreate an embryonic‐like milieu where host progenitor cells can regenerate the damaged articular surface and underlying bone. Osteochondral defects were made on the femoral condyles of 4‐month‐old rabbits and were left empty or filled with hyaluronan‐based polymers. The polymers tested were ACP sponge, made of crosslinked hyaluronan, and HYAFF‐11 sponge, made of benzylated hyaluronan. The rabbits were killed 4 and 12 weeks after surgery, and the condyles were processed for histology. All 12‐week defects were scored with a 29‐point scale, and the scores were compared with a Kruskall‐Wallis analysis of variance on ranks. Untreated defects filled with bone tissue up to or beyond the tidemark, and the noncalcified surface layer varied from fibrous to hyaline‐like tissue. Four weeks after surgery, defects treated with ACP exhibited bone filling to the level of the tidemark and the surface layer was composed of hyaline‐like cartilage well integrated with the adjacent cartilage. At 12 weeks, the specimens had bone beyond the tidemark that was covered with a thin layer of hyaline cartilage. Four weeks after surgery, defects treated with HYAFF‐11 contained a rim of chondrogenic cells at the interface of the implant and the host tissue. In general, the 12‐week defects exhibited good bone fill and the surface was mainly hyaline cartilage. Treated defects received significantly higher scores than untreated defects (p < 0.05), and ACP‐treated defects scored significantly higher than HYAFF‐11‐treated defects (p < 0.05). The introduction of these hyaluronan‐based polymers into defects provides an appropriate scaffolding and favorable microen‐vironment for the reparative process. Further work is required to fully assess the long‐term outcome of defects treated with these polymers.