The articular cartilage of four fresh osteochondral allografts was
biopsied after transplantation, and its viability was studied by
autoradiography. The biopsy specimens were labeled with both 3H-cytidine,
for newly synthesized ribonucleic acid, and 35S-sulphate, for newly
synthesized proteoglycans. The cartilage of a lateral humeral condylar
graft at twelve months had 96 to 99 per cent labeled chondrocytes, the
articular cartilage of a medial femoral condylar graft at twenty-four
months showed 69 to 78 per cent labeled chondrocytes, and the cartilage of
a medial tibial-plateau graft at forty-one months had 90 per cent labeled
cells. At six years, a lateral tibial-plateau graft had 37 per cent labeled
chondrocytes.