Heterotopic and orthotopic autologous chondrocyte implantation using a minipig chondral defect model

Neo-cartilage formation could be observed in the PGA constructs seeded with articular and auricular chondrocytes in vivo. The defect healing did not significantly differ at the macroscopic and histological level in response to implantation of either autologous articular or auricular chondrocytes seeded constructs compared with the empty defects. Although the differences were not significant, the auricular chondrocytes-based implants led to a slightly inferior repair quality at the macroscopic level, but a histologically superior healing response when compared with the empty defect group. However, biomechanical analysis revealed a higher stiffness in repair tissues produced by auricular chondrocyte implantation compared with the other groups. Deduced from these results, articular chondrocytes represent the preferable cell source for implantation.