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Lucia Manunta - University - sassari, italy*Email: a.manunta@uniss.itAim:Numerous preclinical projects of various articular cartilage repair procedures was performed inOrthopaedic Dpt. of Sassari to obtain a scientific model useful for human race.Materials and methods: a condral lesion of medial femoral condyle in a sheep experimentalmodel was performed; we resurface articular cartilage by using periosteum flap, chondrocytescolture, adipose corpus of Hoffa and embryonic stem cells. The obtained data are comparedwith histological-immunohystochemical data and we employed the Artscan 200 to asses andcompare regenerative cartilage tissue stiffness.ResultsParametres that affected final results are:1) Animals models: (joint mechanics, weightbearing, thickness of articular cartilage).2) Surgical approach: critical size defect that do not penetrate the calcified cartilage versusthose that do is crucial: other factors are: contained lesion, cells, matrices, and solubleregulators.3) Methods of evaluation:a) Histology findings: the types of tissue filling the defect (including cell and extracellularmatrix characteristics) attachment to adjacent structures (articular cartilage, calcified cartilageor bone like overgrowing bone and tide mark) and health of the adiacent tissue; these findingscan reveal structural information primarly collagen organization which give a general idea of afunctionality of the reparative tissue.b) Scanning electron microscopy: useful for detect the surface and neighboring tissuec) Biochemestry analysis: several staining methods are specific to sulphatedglycosoaminoglycan (Safranina O, alcian blue) where immunoistochemical stains can be usedto show collagen type and other cartilage specific protein.4)Biomechanical tests: the biomechanical analysis usually is focused on synthesis of majorcomponents of the cartilage extracellular matrix:collagen and proteglycan; the weakness is dueto variation in mechanical properties of articular cartilage between different species, due tovariation in cartilage thickness, inaccessible areas due to joint geometry, instrument size andshape, loss of surface integrity, not easy contact between the indenter ending and cartilagesurface, ease to slide by indenter on the articular surface with possibility action destructive ofprobe.5)Postsurgical treatment.Conclusions: In the current study the primary outcome variable was histology, whereas inclinical work it is pain relief. The advantage of second look in experimental model should beinterpreted with caution and efforts should be made to verify them in human studies, but thesefindings may inform future strategies for cartilage repair.file:///E|/ISTA2010-Abstracts.htm[12/7/2011 3:15:47 PM]