The repairing process in the articular surface was evaluated microscopically in an osteochondral gap produced in the left troclear groove of 12 adult rabbits. It was observed that the granulation tissue wich initially filled this gap had diferentiated into hyaline cartilage by 4 weeks after surgery, presenting parcial reconstitution of subchondral bone excised at seven weeks following surgery. In some animals, cleft formation was observed between the repair tissue and adjacent bone, always where bone remodeling did not occured. In animals wich the bottom and lateral edges of the defect were formed by lamelar subchondral bone with few blood vessels, bone remodeling was not observed, having no attachment of the repair tissue to the adjacent bone. The results show the importance of complete removal of the lamelar subcondral bone during the surgical procedures in the articular surface, in order to allow better blood supply from the subjacent cancellous bone, better bone remodeling, and attachment of the repair tissue to the bottom of the defect.
cartilage; osteocondral; joints
