Regeneration of articular cartilage defects in the temporomandibular joint of rabbits by fibroblast growth factor-2: a pilot study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic usefulness of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) in rabbit temporomandibular joints (TMJ) with osteoarthritis. A 10-mm3 defect was bored in the surface of the mandibular condyle head. The animals were divided into four groups: two test groups in which the defect was filled with lyophilized collagen containing 0.1 or 1.0 μg of FGF-2, and two control groups, in which the defects were filled with lyophilized collagen without FGF-2 or left empty. The defective sites were examined under a light microscope 3 weeks after surgery. Initiation of cartilage formation was observed in the defects filled with 0.1 μg of FGF-2, but only a small amount of cartilage was found in the defects of the 1.0-μg FGF-2- treated group. In the control groups, soft-tissue repair only or no tissue repair was found. In vivo, a dose of 0.1 μg of FGF-2 can stimulate articular cartilage restoration in defects of the TMJ in rabbits, although determining the effective concentration range of FGF-2 may be difficult. The present results suggest that an optimum concentration of FGF-2 could restore defects of TMJ articular cartilage clinically.