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Cartilage2023; 14(2); 210-219; doi: 10.1177/19476035231154508

Correlation of Arthroscopic Grading and Optical Coherence Tomography as Markers of Early Repair and Predictors of Later Healing Evident on MRI and Histomorphometric Assessment of Cartilage Defects Implanted with Chondrocytes Overexpressing IGF-I.

Abstract: Injury of articular cartilage is common, and due to the poor intrinsic capabilities of chondrocytes, it can precipitate joint degradation and osteoarthritis (OA). Implantation of autologous chondrocytes into cartilaginous defects has been used to bolster repair. Accurate assessment of the quality of repair tissue remains challenging. This study aimed to investigate the utility of noninvasive imaging modalities, including arthroscopic grading and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for assessment of early cartilage repair (8 weeks), and MRI to determine long-term healing (8 months). Large (15 mm diameter), full-thickness chondral defects were created on both lateral trochlear ridges of the femur in 24 horses. Defects were implanted with autologous chondrocytes transduced with rAAV5-IGF-I, autologous chondrocytes transduced with rAAV5-GFP, naïve autologous chondrocytes, or autologous fibrin. Healing was evaluated at 8 weeks post-implantation using arthroscopy and OCT, and at 8 months post-implantation using MRI, gross pathology, and histopathology. OCT and arthroscopic scoring of short-term repair tissue were significantly correlated. Arthroscopy was also correlated with later gross pathology and histopathology of repair tissue at 8 months post-implantation, while OCT was not correlated. MRI was not correlated with any other assessment variable. This study indicated that arthroscopic inspection and manual probing to develop an early repair score may be a better predictor of long-term cartilage repair quality following autologous chondrocyte implantation. Furthermore, qualitative MRI may not provide additional discriminatory information when assessing mature repair tissue, at least in this equine model of cartilage repair.
Publication Date: 2023-03-02 PubMed ID: 36864720PubMed Central: PMC10416204DOI: 10.1177/19476035231154508Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • N.I.H.
  • Extramural

Summary

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The research investigated the role of various noninvasive imaging techniques in the assessment of early and long-term repair of cartilage defects treated with autologous chondrocytes in horses. The findings suggested that arthroscopic inspection and probing could be effective in predicting the quality of long-term cartilage repair, while MRI showed limited usefulness in the assessment.

Introduction and Aim

  • Articular cartilage damage, a common injury, often leads to joint degradation and osteoarthritis due to inadequate repair capability of chondrocytes, the cells that make cartilage. This is often treated using implantation methods of chondrocytes.
  • The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and correlation between noninvasive imaging techniques like arthroscopic grading and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for early cartilage repair assessment, and MRI for long-term healing assessment.

Methodology

  • In the study, large, full-thickness chondral defects were created on both femur’s lateral trochlear ridges in 24 horses. These defects were then treated with implantation of autologous chondrocytes, which are chondrocytes derived from the same individual’s cartilage. Different versions of autologous chondrocytes were used including those transduced (infected in order to deliver new genetic material) with rAAV5-IGF-I and rAAV5-GFP.
  • These implants were assessed at two stages- once after 8 weeks of implantation using arthroscopy and OCT, and later at eight months using MRI, gross pathology, and histopathology- to understand the healing process over time.

Results and Conclusion

  • The repairs assessed via arthroscopy and OCT in the short-term showed a significant correlation. Arthroscopy also correlated with long-term repair tissue assessment results from gross pathology and histopathology conducted eight months post-implantation. However, OCT did not correlate with the long-term assessments.
  • Notably, MRI did not correlate with any other assessment factors, bringing its effectiveness into question. The research concluded that arthroscopic inspection could potentially be a better predictor of long-term cartilage repair quality following autologous chondrocyte implantation than MRI or OCT. The MRI, in particular, might not offer any additional information when evaluating mature repair tissue, at least within this equine model of cartilage repair.

Cite This Article

APA
Ciamillo SA, Pownder SL, Potter HG, Stefanovski D, Nixon AJ, Ortved KF. (2023). Correlation of Arthroscopic Grading and Optical Coherence Tomography as Markers of Early Repair and Predictors of Later Healing Evident on MRI and Histomorphometric Assessment of Cartilage Defects Implanted with Chondrocytes Overexpressing IGF-I. Cartilage, 14(2), 210-219. https://doi.org/10.1177/19476035231154508

Publication

ISSN: 1947-6043
NlmUniqueID: 101518378
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 2
Pages: 210-219

Researcher Affiliations

Ciamillo, Sarah A
  • New Bolton Center, Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA, USA.
Pownder, Sarah L
  • Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA.
Potter, Hollis G
  • Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA.
Stefanovski, Darko
  • New Bolton Center, Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA, USA.
Nixon, Alan J
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Ortved, Kyla F
  • New Bolton Center, Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Arthroscopy
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Cartilage, Articular / diagnostic imaging
  • Cartilage, Articular / injuries
  • Cartilage, Articular / surgery
  • Chondrocytes / metabolism
  • Chondrocytes / transplantation
  • Transplantation, Autologous
  • Transduction, Genetic
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / genetics
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Wound Healing

Grant Funding

  • R01 AR055373 / NIAMS NIH HHS

Conflict of Interest Statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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