Temperature changes and chondrocyte death during drilling in a bovine cartilage model and chondroprotection by modified irrigation solutions

摘要

Purpose Drilling into cartilage/bone is often required for orthopaedic surgery. While drilling into bone has been studied, the response of cartilage has received little attention. We have measured cartilage and drill bit temperatures during drilling and quantified the zone of chondrocyte death (ZCD) around the hole in the presence/absence of irrigation solutions. Methods Drilling was performed using a 1.5-mm orthopaedic drill bit applied to bovine metatarsophalangeal joints and temperatures recorded by infrared camera. Osteochondral ex-plants were then incubated with 5-chloromethylfiuorescein diacetate (CMFDA) and propidium iodide (PI) to label living/dead chondrocytes respectively. The width of the ZCD was quantified by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and image analysis.