Assessment of allograft performance in vivo using electromechanical properties of articular cartilage

Usas A; Mickevicius T; Pockevicius A; Kucinskas A; Maciulaitis J; Gudas R
International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS), Sorrento, 2016, Poster P211

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Purpose: Clinical outcome of osteochondral allograft transplantation (OAT) depends on allograft quality. There is a lack of rapid and reliable non-destructive methods for intraoperative evaluation of repaired cartilage. Measurement of cartilage electromechanical properties offers novel possibilities to monitor cartilage healing after OAT. The purpose of our study was to evaluate in vivo performance of fresh and stored allografts and determine whether allograft electromechanical properties have relationship with macroscopic and histological findings after OAT.

Methods and Materials: Osteochondral transplantation using autologous (AT, n=9), allogeneic fresh (AF, n=7) and allogeneic preserved (AP, n=13) osteochondral grafts stored for 14 days in DMEM at 4°C was performed in 5-6 month-old Saanen goats. Empty non-treated defects were used as control (CT). The electromechanical quantitative parameter (QP) of repaired cartilage was evaluated with Arthro-BSTTM device after 3 and 6 month along with macroscopic (Oswestry Arthroscopy Score) and histological (O'Driscoll grading score) evaluation. The results were compared between different transplantation groups and correlations among different evaluation methods were determined using Spearman's correlation coefficient.

Results: No significant difference of electromechanical QP, OAS and O'Driscoll scores was observed between different transplantation groups after 3 month. After 6 month there was no difference between QP and OAS values, but the O'Driscoll histological score in AT and AF groups was significantly higher compared to AP group. The results in the control group were much worse compared to any treatment group at any time. The electromechanical QP correlated with the OAS (r = -0.655, p<0.001) and O'Driscoll histological grading score (r = -0.545, p<0.001).

Conclusion: Measurement of cartilage electromechanical properties enables non-destructive assessment of osteochondral allograft quality.

Utilisation des équipements

L’Arthro-BST a mesuré le paramètre quantitatif électromécanique (QP) du cartilage articulaire réparé après transplantation ostéochondrale chez des chèvres Saanen. Les évaluations à trois et six mois comparaient des greffons autologues, allogéniques frais et allogéniques conservés à des défauts non traités. Les mesures de QP étaient examinées conjointement avec les scores macroscopiques d’arthroscopie d’Oswestry et les scores histologiques d’O’Driscoll.