Table 1.
Animal model | Animal number | Defect location | Defect type | Defect size | Additional treatment | Nature of biomaterials | Source of bone marrow | Concentration performed? | Method of concentration | Volume per defect | Study groups | Follow-up | Evaluation methods |
Major findings | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Horse | 12 | Trochlear ridge | Full thickness chondral | 15 mm diameter | Microfracture | n.a. | Sternum | Yes | BMA harvested from two sternal marrow spaces (each 35 ml). Mixed with preservative- free heparin | n.a. | (1) Microfracture | 8 months | (1) Cytological and flow cytometry analysis | (1) No adverse reactions | [65] |
BMA (60 ml) was centrifuged. Yield: 6 ml of BMAC | (2) Microfracture + BMAC | (2) MRI | (2) Improved cartilage repair in BMAC group | ||||||||||||
(3) Macroscopic scoring | (3) MRI: increased defect fill, improved lateral integration | ||||||||||||||
(4) Histological scoring |
(4) More type II collagen, improved collagen orientation, more glycosaminoglycans in BMAC group |
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Goat | 15 | Intercondylar region of knee | Full-thickness chondral | 4 mm diameter | Subchondral drilling | Hyalgan (HA) | Iliac crest | Yes | BMA was centrifuged (1900 rpm, 10 min., at 10°C). Mean yield: 4.4 ml (range, 4.0 to 6.0 ml) of BMAC | 400 μl | (1) Subchondral drilling | 6 months | (1) Macroscopic observation | (1) Macroscopy: similar between empty defects and both HA groups. HA + BMA group: almost complete, smooth surface in level with adjacent cartilage | [64] |
(2) Subchondral drilling + i.a. HA | (2) Histological scoring | (2) Better histological score in HA + BMA group with more proteoglycan staining and improved lateral integration | |||||||||||||
(3) Subchondral drilling + i.a. HA+ BMA injection |
BMA: bone marrow aspirate; BMAC: bone marrow aspirate concentrate; HA: Hyalgan (sodium hyaluronate); i.a.: intra-articular; n.a.: not available; Ref.: reference.