The use of debrided human articular cartilage for autologous chondrocyte implantation: maintenance of chondrocyte differentiation and proliferation in type I collagen gels.

Unlabelled: Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is the most promising surgical treatment for large full thickness knee joint articular cartilage (AC) defects where cells from healthy non-weight bearing area AC are multiplied in vitro and implanted into such defects. In the routine surgical procedure for symptomatic knee full thickness AC defects, damaged AC surrounding the edge and the base of such defects is usually debrided and discarded. The purpose of this study was to examine if chondrocytes from this 'debrided' AC can proliferate, synthesize a cartilage specific matrix and thus can be used for ACI.

Effects of growth factors on cell proliferation and matrix synthesis of low-density, primary bovine chondrocytes cultured in collagen I gels.

Low cell density cell numbers and dedifferentiation are two major problems of human chondrocyte culture associated with articular cartilage repair. Bovine chondrocytes seeded at low density (3.5 x 10(4) cells/ml of gels) in three-dimensional collagen type I gels do proliferate and maintain their phenotype as shown by cell counts, morphology and matrix synthesis.