Objective: To investigate the possibility of using poly beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) as a scaffold for chondrocytes and the feasibility of generating tissue engineered cartilage in rabbit animal model.
Methods: The articular cartilage from 4-week-old rabbits was enzymatically dissolved by type II collagenase, and chondrocytes were harvested and seeded into foams of PHB. After incubation for 1 week in vitro, chondrocyte-polymer constructs were implanted subcutaneously into rabbits. Two respective control groups were established by subcutaneous implantation of PHB foams and chondrocytes alone. The rabbits were killed at 4, 8, 12 weeks postoperatively, and the specimens were dissected and examined macroscopically, histologically and immunohistochemically.
Results: Specimens harvested from chondrocyte-polymer constructs and subjected to gross morphologic and histologic analysis demonstrated new cartilage formation, and those from control groups showed no cartilage formation.
Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that the foam of PHB is not only a good "matrix" for cartilage tissue engineering, but also optimal scalffold for the seeding of chondrocytes to generate new cartilage that would be useful in plastic and reconstructive surgery.