Methods and compositions for the repair of articular cartilage defects in mammals

A method for repairing an articular cartilage defect at a pre-determined site in a mammal, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) surgically implanting at the predetermined site of said defect a piece of synthetic cartilage of a pre-determined volume prepared by the method comprising:
• (i) providing a tissue comprising interconnected chondrogenic cells;
• (ii) disaggregating said tissue to release denuded cells;
• (iii) proliferating said denuded cells ex vivo;
• (iv) seeding said proliferated cells into a preshaped well having a cell contacting, cell abhesive surface, said well being dismensioned to provide a predetermined volume of the synthetic cartilage so that said volume approximates a volume of the cartilage defect to be repaired;
• (v) culturing said cells in said well for a time sufficient to permit said cells to differentiate and form a formation of synthetic cartilage comprising chondrogenic cells dispersed within an endogenously produced extracellular matrix;
• (vi) removing said synthetic cartilage from said well;
• and
• (b) permitting the synthetic cartilage to integrate into the pre-determined site.

A method for repairing an articular cartilage defect at a predetermined site in a mammal, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) surgically implanting at the predetermined site of said defect a piece of synthetic cartilage of a pre-determined volume prepared by the method comprising:
• (i) seeding denuded chondrogenic cells, proliferated ex vivo, into a preshaped well having a cell contacting, cell abhesive surface, said well being dimensioned to provide a pre-determined volume of the synthetic cartilage so that said volume approximates a volume of the cartilage defect to be repaired;
• (ii) adding ascorbate to said cells in said well;
• (iii) culturing said cells in said well for a time sufficient to permit said cells to differentiate and form a synthetic cartilage comprising chondrogenic cells dispersed within an endogenously produced extracellular matrix;
• (iv) removing said synthetic cartilage from said well;
• and
• (b) permitting the synthetic cartilage to integrate into the predetermimined site.

A method for repairing an articular cartilage defect at a pre-determined site in a mammal, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) surgically implanting at the predetermined site of said defect a piece of synthetic cartilage of a predetermined volume prepared by the method consisting of:
• (i) seeding denuded chondrogenic cells, proliferated ex vivo, into a preshaped well having a cell contacting, cell abhesive surface, said well being dimensioned to provide a predetermined volume of the synthetic cartilage so that said volume approximates a volume of the cartilage defect to be repaired;
• (ii) culturing said cells in said well for a time sufficient to permit said cells to differentiate and form a synthetic cartilage consisting of chondrogenic cells dispersed within an endogenously produced extracellular matrix;
• (iii) removing said synthetic cartilage from said well;
• and
• (b) permitting the synthetic cartilage to integrate into the predetermined site.