• 1Center for Joint Surgery, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Southwest Hospital, the ThirdMilitary Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, P.R.China.;
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Objective To establ ish a porcine model of articular full-thickness cartilage defect characterized by
remaining cartilage calcified zone on femoral trochlea, so as to provide a considerable and comparative control group for
investigating repair effects of tissue engineered scaffolds in articular cartilage defects with cartilage calcified zone remaining.
Methods The full-thickness cartilage column defects (6 mm in diameter, 0.2-0.5 mm in depth) without damage on calcified
cartilage zone were made on the femoral trochlea in 9 clean-grade 6-month-old Guizhou mini pigs by standard cartilage-defectmaking
suites. Microscopical observation was performed after modeling. Scanning were made by 3.0T MRI at 4 weeks. Then
general observation, stereomicroscope, and histological staining were used to observe cartilage repair. Results All animals were
al ive. No infection of incisions or patellar dislocations occurred; they were able to walk with partial weight-bearing immediately
after surgery and could move freely without limp at 1 week. Obvious signal discontinuity in trochlea and subchondral bone could
be observed in MRI, without deep signal change in defects surrounding. Microscopical observation showed a few repair tissue
and petechia at base of the defect with clear boundary. Nearly intact calcified zone of cartilage and zonal collapse of subchondral
bone in defects could be observed with stereomicroscope. Under common microscope, no chondrocytes was found in defects,
as well as negative staining of fast green-safranin O and alcian blue. Under polarized microscope, the bottom of defects were
filled with a l ittle of fibrous tissue presenting continuous and b l ight-refraction by sirius red staining. Conclusion The
animal model of articular full-thickness cartilage defect on femoral trochlea by standard cartilage-defect-making suites can be
applied for the research of cartilage disease in early human osteoarthritis and function of calcified cartilage zone in pig.

Citation: NING Zhigang,YANG Liu,WANG Fuyou,ZHANG Yi,WANG Enhong.. AN ANIMAL MODEL FOUNDATION OF ARTICULAR FULL-THICKNESS CARTILAGE DEFECT BY SAVINGCALCIFIED CARTILAGE ZONE ON FEMORAL TROCHLEA IN PORCINE. Chinese Journal of Reparative and Reconstructive Surgery, 2012, 26(5): 527-531. doi: Copy