The long-term survival of cartilage homografts in man

doi:10.1016/S0007-1226(58)80030-2

British Journal of Plastic Surgery

Volume 11, 1958–1959, Pages 177-187

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0007-1226(58)80030-2 Get rights and content

Summary

1.
Nineteen fresh homografts of rib cartilage, one of ear cartilage, and one of nasal septal cartilage have been studied in human volunteers.
2.
The ability to metabolise radioactive sulphur (³⁵S) in vitro was used as a test for viability. Nineteen of the twenty-one implants were found to be alive after intervals varying from two weeks to two years. The two specimens which failed to survive were of rib cartilage from different donors and in different hosts; other specimens in these hosts were alive up to two years, at which time the experiments were concluded.
3.
Histological examination failed to reveal any differences in the behaviour of homograft and autograft cartilage.
4.
Four specimens of maternal ear cartilage provided by Sir Harold Gillies were also examined histologically. After ten months, ten months, three and a half years, and twenty-two years in the host tissues they appeared to have survived as living grafts.
5.
Cartilage itself did not elicit a homograft reaction but in two specimens excised after two and a half months the perichondrium did. At two months the perichondrium was normal and from three months onward no perichondrium could be found.
6.
It is concluded that cartilage homografts in man remain alive for at least two years and probably do so indefinitely.
7.
The possibility of developing a “bank” of living cartilage is discussed briefly.

References (20)

BäckdahlM. et al.
Brit. J. plast. Surg.
(1954)
CraigmyleM.B.L.
Brit. J. plast. Surg.
(1955)
DavisW.B. et al.
Brit. J. plast. Surg.
(1956)
GibsonT. et al.
Brit. J. plast. Surg.
(1953)
AlgireG.H. et al.
J. Nat. Cancer Inst.
(1954)
BacsichP. et al.
CurranR.C. et al.
DavisJ.S.
Johns Hopk. Hosp. Bull.
(1913)
DupertuisS.M.
Arch. Surg.
(1941)
GibsonT.

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (49)

Allograft Particulate Cartilage Transplantation: DeNovo Natural Tissue (NT) Graft
2011, Cartilage Surgery
Cartilage graft resorption: An animal model
2000, Aesthetic Surgery Journal
Background: Autologous cartilage grafts have become an integral part of aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. However, little objective information is available about the actual quantitative resorption of cartilage. Objective: This study sought to objectively quantify and compare the resorption of auricular and costal cartilage in an animal model over a 1-year time period. Methods: Autologous auricular and costal cartilage was harvested from New Zealand white rabbits. Each of the auricular and costal cartilage specimens was divided into 6 pieces. Two of the 6 pieces from each donor site were crushed, 2 were carved, and 2 were left untouched. One set of crushed, carved, and untouched cartilage from each site (auricular and costal) was placed into the subcutaneous tissues of the nasal dorsum, and a second set from each site was placed in the occiput as a control. In all, 12 pieces were placed into each of 7 rabbits, for a total of 84 grafts. Before placement, the mass and volume of each graft were measured through use of an analytic balance. After 1 year, the pieces were harvested and the mass and volume were measured again. Results: The resorption of ear cartilage was determined to be 16.4% ± 4.8% (P < .0001). For the costal cartilage group, an overall slight weight gain of 2.79% ± 8.61% (P = .1032) was observed; this was not statistically significant. No statistically significant difference in resorption of cartilage occurred between the untouched (native), carved, and crushed cartilage. The reduction in cartilage volume approximately mirrored the observed weight reductions. No difference in volume reduction was observed between the nasal snout groups and the occipital controls. Conclusions: This preliminary animal study found that ear cartilage resorbs more than costal cartilage and that carving does not affect the amount of resorption.
Immunosuppressant-free allotransplantation of the trachea: The antigenicity of tracheal grafts can be reduced by removing the epithelium and mixed glands from the graft by detergent treatment
2000, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Citation Excerpt :
With a variety of clinical needs in mind, we considered that it is necessary to develop a more practical method of preparing grafts. It has long been known that cartilage can be transferred successfully between individuals of different genetic backgrounds without any need for immunosuppression therapy.20 This immunologic privilege is attributable to the absence of a blood supply in adult articular cartilage.
Objective: To develop a method for eliminating the epithelium and mixed glands from tracheal grafts by detergent treatment and evaluate these grafts for immunosuppressant-free allotransplantation in dogs. Methods: Fresh canine tracheal grafts were treated with a detergent (1% Triton X-100 t-octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol; T-9284; Sigma Chemical Co, St Louis, Mo) at 4°C for 48 hours. The grafts were then used for intrathoracic 5-ring tracheal replacement in other dogs without immunosuppressant treatment (n = 6, detergent treatment group). In the control group (n = 6) fresh untreated canine tracheal segments were implanted as allografts. All the implanted grafts were covered with an omental pedicle. Results: In the detergent treatment group the chondrocytes in the graft had a similar appearance to those in the fresh trachea, indicating that the chondrocytes remained viable after the detergent treatment. In 5 of the 6 grafts, the epithelium and mixed glands had been removed completely. After transplantation, these 5 grafts were incorporated by the host trachea without stenosis. In the remaining treated tracheal graft, in which removal of the epithelium was incomplete, moderate stenosis was observed at the fourth week after implantation, although this was not progressive. In the control group, granulation tissue of the graft and significant stenosis were observed after transplantation. Conclusion: The antigenicity of tracheal grafts can be greatly reduced by removing the epithelium and mixed glands by the use of detergent treatment. The epithelium and mixed glands of the graft appear to be the determining elements involved in rejection after tracheal allotransplantation. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;120:108-14)
Effects of basic fibroblast growth factor on early revascularization and epithelial regeneration in rabbit tracheal orthotopic transplantation
2001, European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery
Harvesting Split Costal Cartilage Graft in Revision Rhinoplasty Without Disturbing the Costal Integrity
2021, Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
Extended L-Framework: An innovative technique for reconstruction of low nasal dorsum by autogenous costal cartilage graft
2019, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open

View all citing articles on Scopus

¹: A preliminary report of this study was published in the Transplantation Bulletin (1957, 4, 105); at that time homograft cartilage cells had been shown to be still alive fifteen months after transplantation.

View full text

Original articleThe long-term survival of cartilage homografts in man1

Summary

Brit. J. plast. Surg.

Brit. J. plast. Surg.

Brit. J. plast. Surg.

Brit. J. plast. Surg.

J. Nat. Cancer Inst.

Johns Hopk. Hosp. Bull.

Arch. Surg.

Original article
The long-term survival of cartilage homografts in man1