Transplantation of Growth Plate Chondrocytes into Growth Plate Defect in Rabbit

Park, Hui Wan; Lee, Woo Suk; Lee, Jin Woo

Abstract

We performed a procedure to transplant cultured growth plate chondrocyte embedded in type I collagen gel into the defects of the proximal tibial physis in a 6-week-old rabbit. Twenty eight New Zealand White rabbits were used and were divided into 4 groups, of which the medial half of the proximal epiphyseal plate of the right tibia were excised. In group I, the defects were left without collagen gel implantations served as a control. In group II, chondrocytes were embedded in collagen gel were inserted into defect, In group III, chondrocytes cultured with TGF-beta1 in collagen gel, and in group IV chondrocytes cultured with TGFbeta1 in collagen gel three weeks after excision of the growth plate. After transplantations of growth plate chondrocytes, we assessed the varus angulation and the length of tibia, and histological characteristics at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks. Bone-bridge formation, growth artiest, and varus deformity between the tibial epiphysis and metaphysis were prevented or minimized in group III and IV. The transplanted chondrocyte retained its normal morphology in a columnar arrangement in group II, III and IV. These results indicate that it is possible to reduce varus angulation and growth arrest in epiphyseal plate defect of immature rabbits by using cultured chondrocytes embedded in type I collagen gel including TGF-beta1.