Identity and purity of tissue biopsies

A method for preparing a cartilage cell culture, comprising the following steps:

• a) treating a cartilage tissue sample with a protease,
• b) testing the protease-treated cartilage tissue sample for the presence of protease-resistant fragments of type II collagen and type I collagen,
• c) identifying and isolating cartilage cells from the tested protease-treated cartilage tissue sample, and
• d) culturing cartilage cells present in the tested cartilage tissue sample, wherein in step c), the cartilage cells are identified by ascertaining the degree of purity of the cartilage tissue by calculating percentage of the protease-resistant fragments of type II collagen and type I collagen within the tissue sample, and wherein the protease-resistant fragments of type II collagen are C-terminal crosslinked type II collagen telopeptides (CTX-II) or fragments thereof and wherein the protease-resistant fragments of type I collagen are N-terminal crosslinked type I collagen telopeptides (NTX-I) or fragments thereof.

A method for preparing a cartilage cell-loaded implant comprising the following steps:

• a) treating a cartilage tissue sample with a protease,
• b) testing the protease-treated cartilage tissue sample for the presence of protease-resistant fragments of type II collagen and type I collagen,
• c) identifying and isolating cartilage cells from the tested protease-treated cartilage tissue sample,
• d) culturing cartilage cells present in the tested cartilage tissue sample and
• e) loading an implant with the cultured cartilage cells, wherein in step c), the cartilage cells are identified by ascertaining the degree of purity of the cartilage tissue by calculating percentage of the protease-resistant fragments of type II collagen and type I collagen within the tissue sample, and wherein the protease-resistant fragments of type II collagen are C-terminal crosslinked type II collagen telopeptides (CTX-II) or fragments thereof and wherein the protease-resistant fragments of type I collagen are N-terminal crosslinked type I collagen telopeptides (NTX-I) or fragments thereof.