Implantation of platelet-rich fibrin and cartilage granules facilitates cartilage repair in the injured rabbit knee: preliminary report

Autologous chondrocyte implantation has become the current principal procedure for cell-based cartilage repair.1,2 However, the disadvantages of autologous chondrocyte implantation include the necessity to perform two surgical procedures: isolation of the chondrocytes from a tissue sample that has been extracted from the patient, which is time-consuming, and implantation of the harvested chondrocytes after expansion in vitro,3 which has the potential to induce chondrocyte leakage.4 Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a new generation of platelet concentrate that, without anticoagulant, activates the platelets of a blood sample and induces degranulation and cytokine release.5 The preparation of PRF is simple and can be completed during one procedure. In dental procedures, when a cystic cavity is filled with PRF, the physiological healing period can be reduced to two months instead of the usual 6 to 12 months.6 The aim of this study was to investigate the regeneration of articular cartilage defects of the knee following the implantation of PRF with cartilage granules in a one-step procedure in rabbits using T2-map magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology to assess the rabbits' response to the procedure.