Summary
The objective of this study was to examine the behaviour of canine chondrocytes following
colonisation of a β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP, Cerasorb®, Curasan) matrix. In total, five of these cylinders were inoculated with 1.5 ml of
cell suspension and subsequently incubated for about one week. In the second part
of the experiment, another five Cerasorb® cylinders were each studded with two cartilage chips of variable size and then incubated
for about one week. The series of experiments were analyzed using cell staining and
imaging techniques that included scanning electron microscopy. Cell migration onto
the matrix was proven for both colonization methods. It was observed that colonising
the cylinders by pipetting cell suspension on them produced far better results, with
respect to both growth rate and spreading of the cells, than did colonisation by studding
with cartilage chips. A homogenous, surface-covering colonisation with predominantly
living cells was demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy in the chondrocyte morphology.
In comparison to cell-culture controls, there was a clearly better colonisation, with
cells attached to both the material's primary grains and its micropores. The ceramic
studied is well accepted by canine chondrocytes, and appears to be fundamentally well-suited
as a matrix for bio-artificial bone-cartilage replacement. Additional qualitative
analyses and a series of experiments aiming to accelerate cell proliferation are planned
for subsequent studies.
Keywords
Cartilage replacement - bioartificial graft - matrix
