A simple method of cartilage regeneration using a new polymerizing system: ultrastructural characteristics of the repair tissue

The ultrastructural characteristics of the repair tissue in large articular cartilage defects, filled with a heterocyclic polymerizing system were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive micro-analysis (EDMA). By six weeks post-implantation, the defects were resurfaced with predominantly hyaline-like articular cartilage. Chondrocytes in both the superficial and deep zones of the repair tissue were highly productive, secreting large amounts of proteoglycans, into a well-organized, rich in collagen fibrils, extracellular matrix. By contrast, in the repair tissue of the defects treated without the biomaterial, proteoglycan synthesis was less and the structure of the matrix was inferior. We conclude that the polymer enhances both chondrocyte metabolism and matrix organization, thus improving the quality of the repair tissue in articular cartilage defects.