Affiliations: UMR7561CNRS PPIA, Université de Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France | CHU Fort de France, Fort de France, France | UMR7208 BOREA, MNHN, Paris, France
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Marthe Rousseau, UMR7561CNRS PPIA, Université de Lorraine, 9 avenue de la forêt de Haye, 54505 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France. Tel.: +33 383685450; Fax: +33 383685409; E-mail: rousseam@gmx.net.
Abstract: The present study was designed to analyze the intra-articular behaviour of nacre, when implanted in the subchondral bone area in the sheep knee. We implanted nacre blocks in sheep's trochlea by replacing the half of the femoral trochlea (nacre group). For comparison we used complete cartilage resection (resection group) down to the subchondral bone. In the “nacre group”, implants were well tolerated without any synovial inflammation. In addition, we observed centripetal regrowth of new cartilage after 3 months. In the “resection group”, no chondral regrowth was observed, but, in contrast, a thin layer of fibrous tissue was formed. After 6 months, a new tissue covered the nacre implant formed by an osteochondral regrowth. Nacre, as a subchondral implant, exerts benefic potential for osteochondral repair.
