The effect mechanical status on the repair of cartilage injury transplanted with cultured chondrocytes

探讨关节载荷和关节运动对软骨损伤修复的影响。我们新开发的兔外固定器可以消除关节的负荷，允许主动活动。制备兔股骨髁全层软骨缺损区，应用外固定器固定4周，8周后对修复组织进行组织学检查。主动减轻关节负荷与解除关节负荷或主动减轻关节负荷相比，对软骨修复有明显的促进作用。周围正常软骨不受器械应用的影响。由于软骨细胞胶原移植物的早期移位，未发现软骨细胞移植对软骨修复的有利作用。这些结果提示通过控制关节的力学状态来改善关节软骨修复的可能性。

To investigate the effect of the load and the motion of the joint on the repair of the cartilage injury. we newly developed the external fixater for the rabbit which could eliminate the load of the joint and permit the active motion. We prepared the full thickness cartilage defect in the femoral condyle of the rabbits and applied the external fixater for 4 weeks and examined the repair tissue histologically after 8 weeks. The relief of the joint load with the active motion was showed to effect the cartilage repair beneficially compared with the relief of the joint load without joint motion or the permission of the joint load with the active motion. Surrounding normal cartilage was not influenced by the aplication of the apparatus. We could not find the beneficial effect of transplantation of cartilage cells on the cartilage repair due to the early dislodgement of the cartilage cells collagen graft. These results suggested the possibility of the improvement of the joint cartilage repair by means of the control of the mechanical status of the joint.