Observations of subchondral plate advancement during osteochondral repair: a histomorphometric and mechanical study in the rabbit femoral condyle.

Objective: The subchondral plate and its reconstitution has been an under-researched aspect of articular cartilage repair. The extent to which the subchondral plate is restored by natural healing remains controversial. This study aimed to quantify advancement of subchondral bone during repair of an osteochondral defect, and to examine the effect of subchondral bone height on the quality of articular surface repair.

Evaluation of Gateshead carbon fibre rod as an implant material for repair of osteochondral defects: a morphological and mechanical study in the rabbit knee.

Use of the Gateshead carbon fibre rod system remains controversial. Although it has been shown to enhance the repair of lesions in load bearing areas of convex articular surfaces, there is a lack of evidence to support the claim that it provides an inert scaffold for ingrowth of organised fibrous tissue. and thereby increasing the rate and quality of articular surface regeneration.

The effects of pulsed electromagnetism on fresh fracture healing: osteochondral repair in the rat femoral groove.

Some clinical studies have claimed significant reductions in the healing time of fresh fractures with the use of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs). Animal models, however, have produced more equivocal results. This investigation examined the effects of PEMF treatment on an osteochondral defect placed in the patellofemoral groove of the rat.

Haemodynamic changes in the rat femur and tibia following femoral vein ligation.

Interference with venous outflow from a limb to stimulate fracture repair and bone growth has a long history, and its beneficial effects have been confirmed by many experimental and clinical studies. With the development of fracture fixation systems, the therapeutic use of circulatory intervention became redundant. Recently, a venous tourniquet effect has been cited to explain the enhancement of bone healing observed after fracture fixation with the Aircast system.

Bone blood flow in the rat using arteriolar blockade: comparisons between labelled resin particles and microspheres.

Arteriolar blockade is probably the most widely used laboratory method for bone blood flow measurement. At first, cheap labelled cationic resin particles were used. These have largely been displaced by labelled microspheres, which have theoretical advantages but are expensive.