One stage osteochondral repair with cartilage fragments in a hyaluronic acid/fibrin glue/platelet rich plasma scaffold: in vitro human and in vivo rabbit and goat animal model.

The study evaluate a "one-stage" procedure combining minced autologous fragments, as a viable cell source, with a resorbable scaffold composed of hyaluronic acid, fibrin glue platelet rich plasma. In vitro, chondrocytes from cartilage fragments migrate and proliferated into the scaffold better in animal than in human explanted cultures. In vivo, group "one-stage" showed better quality of repair tissue than control groups and some typical features of articular cartilage, as presence of collagen type II in extracellular matrix. Nanoindentation of goat "one-stage" samples showed mechanical properties similar with normal trochlear goat cartilage. Minced cartilage fragments in a HA/fibrin/PRP scaffold provide a viable cell source for one-stage cartilage repair in rabbit and goat model.