2025-04-30

Cartilage repair and subchondral bone migration using 3D printing osteochondral composites: a one year period study in rabbit trochlea

BioMed Research International

Increasing evidences show that the subchondral bone may play a significant role in the onset, repair or progression of cartilage damage，however，However, the exact change of subchondral bone during osteochondral repair is still poorly understood，it is controversial whether subchondral bone repair was correlated to cartilage restoration during long-term repairing of osteochondral defect. In this research, Polyethylene glycol hydrogel (PEG)/ β-tricalciumphosphate (β-TCP) ceramic osteochondral composites were fabricated by 3D printing technology, then implanted in 35 right trochlea critical size defects (4.8mm in diameter, 7.5mm in depth) of skeletal mature NZW rabbit model. Animals were euthanized at 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 52 weeks post-implantation. Histology results showed hyaline-like cartilage formation with white smooth surface invisible margin at 24 weeks,  and typical tidemark formed at 52 weeks postoperatively. The repaired subchondral bone formed from 16 to 52 weeks, the bone migrated from surrounding to the defect center gradually in a “flow like” manner. Statistical analysis revealed that subchondral bone volume and migration area percentage were both highly correlated with the gross appearance Wayne score of repaired cartilage（P＜0.01）. In conclusions, subchondral bone migration is related with cartilage repair for critical size osteochondral repair in vivo.The subchondral bone remodeling proceeds with a “subchondral bone flow like” discipline, by which the bone migrates from surrounding to the defect center gradually, the defect margin joins together with each other at 24 weeks and 52 weeks. Biomimetic PEG/β-TCP composites fabricated by 3D printing show promising for application in osteochondral regeneration.

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/746138/

WJ Zhang, Q Lian, DC Li, KZ Wang, WG Bian, JK He, ZM Jin

No

2014-08-06