Volume 53 (2003) Issue: 2003 No#4

EVALUATION OF THE REPAIR OF FULL-THICKNESS ARTICULAR CARTILAGE DEFECTS FILLED WITH AUTOLOGOUS EXOGENOUS FIBRIN CLOT: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN THE SHOULDER JOINT OF DOGS

Author(s): Avki S, Izci C

Keywords:articular cartilage, dog, exogenous fibrin, healing

To determine whether the optimizing effect of an exogenous fibrin clot in the repair of full–thickness articular cartilage defects is valid when joint motions are restricted, standard osteochondral defects were constituted in the articular surface of the humeral head in 16 adult dogs. The defects in 8 dogs were packed with fibrin clots that had been prepared exogenously from each animal and the defects of the other animals were left empty. The operated limbs were inactivated for 2 weeks postoperatively and the healing response was then examined using routine histology at 2, 4, 8 and 12-week intervals. Although the clot-filled and control (empty) defects initially healed through proliferation of fibrous connective tissue; the clot-filled defects finally modulated into fibrocartilage with completed subchondral bone formation. The clotfilled defects demonstrated a more advanced reparative tissue which was congruent with the intact articular surface from 4 weeks after the intervention.