Reconstruction of articular cartilage defects with free periosteal grafts. An experimental study.

The chondrogenic potential of free autogenous periosteal grafts was studied histologically in 6-month-old rabbits. The grafts were taken from the tibia and transplanted to 7 x 14 mm large artificial defects of the femoral articular cartilage. The results revealed that the defects were repaired and filled after 4 weeks with a hyaline-like cartilage which was histologically similar to the cartilage adjacent to the transplant. The tissue maintained this morphology after 1 year of observation. In control animals where no periosteum was transplanted to the defect, no real cartilage was found. The tissue which partially filled the defect was a variable mixture of fibrous tissue and fibrocartilage.