Background Regeneration of the damaged joint with osteochondral defects is an area of great interest because of the limited potential of defected articular cartilage healing, Recently, hyaluronic acid treated culture method was paid on attention for i...
Background Regeneration of the damaged joint with osteochondral defects is an area of great interest because of the limited potential of defected articular cartilage healing, Recently, hyaluronic acid treated culture method was paid on attention for its advantage, increasing the number of chondrocytes and thus improving the quality of chondrocyte transplantation. The objective of this in vivo study was to determine the effect of chondrocyte transplantation with hyaluronic acid on the ability of regeneration. Methods Suspensions of rabbit articular chondrocyte were prepared from primary, high-density monolayer cultures for 2 weeks. After 14 days of culture, the cells were isolated by trypsinization and transplanted into chondral defects with an autogenous periosteal patch and hyaluronic acid. Articular cartilages were histologically examined at 4 weeks, 8 weeks after autogenic and allogenic chondrocyte transplantation with hyaluronic acid. Results Grafted defects were filled with cartilage in gross findings at 8weeks. At 8 weeks, allogenic and autogenic chondrocyte transplantation significantly increased the amount of newly formed cartilage compared to that of only periosteal patch covered cartilage. Repaired tissue consisted of differentiated chondrocytes and hyaline cartilage. Conclusion These results suggest that hyaluronic acid provides a suitable environment for differentiation of chondrocytes and matrix production. Allogenic and autologous chondrocyte transplantation with hyaluronic acid may be clinically useful application in osteochodral defect of damaged joints.