Extract
Fresh osteochondral allografting is a nonvascularized organ transplantation
with a clinical use dating back to the early twentieth century. The procedure,
in its current form, involves transplantation of a small segment of bone as a
carrier with its overlying cartilage. As the bone is remodeled and
revascularized by the recipient, the donor cartilage continues to function
mechanically, produces matrix, and receives nutrition from the synovial fluid.
The cartilage has traditionally been considered a so-called immunoprivileged
tissue, avoiding the immune surveillance of the host presumably because of its
paucity of vascular channels and its hypo-cellular
matrix1. These
qualities make fresh osteochondral allografting unique in the field of
transplantation and preclude the need for systemic immunosuppression after
this procedure. Although histologically normal articular cartilage has been
reported in retrieved fresh osteochondral allografts, we know of no report
that has definitively confirmed the specific survival of the donor cells for
any length of time. Furthermore, the source of cells in retrieved transplants
has not been confirmed as being from the donor or the recipient. The patient
was informed that data concerning his case would be submitted for
publication.