Experimental study of evaluation of articular cartilage chondrocyte viability in vitro

Abstract

Research background. Bone and cartilage complex (BCC) transplantation is faster and less expensive method of treatment of chondral lesions than chondrocyte transplantation. According to research studies athletes tend to recover faster after OATS surgery than after chondrocyte transplantation. Sometimes there are no possibilities to perform autologous BCC transplantation. The literature also scarce on data on chondrocyte viability after prolonged fraft storage under different temperature and culture media conditions. Research aim. Our hypothesis, chondrocyte viability in BCC directly affects integration of the transplanted BCC in allgraft recipients. In this study we seek to determine the optimal BCC storage conditions, which enable preservation of the most viable allograft. Research methods. 5 mm in diameter goat knee articular cartilage samples were kept under different storage conditions (n=8/per group): in the freezer at -70° C, in low glucose Dulbecco's Modified eAGLE'S mEDIUM (dmem) medium at +4° С or +37° C temperature. Samples were incubated for 14 and 28 days. The control group consisted of 8 samples harvested during surgery and stained on the same day. [...].