Methods and compositions for the treatment and repair of defects or lesions in cartilage or bone

A mixture for the treatment of defects in bone comprising:

• a collagenous matrix solution;
• basic FGF present at a concentration of 5-10 ng/ml of matrix solution;
• and
• TGF-.beta. encapsulated in liposomes for subsequent delivery to bone repair cells and present at a concentrations of 100 ng/ml of matrix solution.

A method for treating a full-thickness defect in a joint in an animal in need of the treatment comprising:

• filling the bones portion of the full-thickness defect with a first matrix containing an effective amount of an angiogenic factor to stimulate formation and ingrowth of blood vessels with associated cells and containing an osteogenic factor associated with a delivery system that subsequently releases the osteogenic factor at a concentration sufficient to induce differentiation of bone repair cells into bone cells which form bone;
• covering the matrix-filled bone portion of the full-thickness defect with a membrane, which prevents migration of cells from the bone defect side to the cartilage defect side;
• sealing the membrane to the perimeter of the defect in the region of the cartilage-bone junction;
• and
• filling the cartilage portion of the full-thickness defect with a second matrix containing an effective amount of a proliferation agent to stimulate proliferation of repair cells, an effective amount of a chemotactic agent to attract repair cells, and an effective amount of a transforming factor associated with a delivery system that subsequently releases the transforming factor at a concentration sufficient to transform repair cell into chondrocytes.

A method for treating a full-thickness defect in a joint of an animal in need of the treatment comprising:

• filling the bone portion of the full-thickness defect with a first collagenous matrix containing bFGF at a concentration of 5-10 ng/ml of the first collagenous matrix, and containing TGF-.beta. in liposomes for subsequent delivery at a concentration of 100 ng/ml of the first collagenous matrix;
• covering the first collagenous matrix-filled bone portion of the full-thickness defect with a membrane, which is impermeable to blood vessels and cells;
• sealing the membrane at its perimeter to the edges of the defect in the region of the cartilage-bone junction;
• and
• filling the cartilage portion of the full-thickness defect with a second collagenous matrix containing TGF-.beta. at a concentration of 2-10 ng/ml of the second collagenous matrix, and containing TGF-.beta. in liposomes for subsequent delivery at a concentration of 200-2000 ng/ml of the second collagenous matrix.