The chondral lesion and osteoarthritis are conditions associated with an economic burden, since if left untreated may cause changes in the biomechanics of the joint and result in several injuries considered highly disabling to the individual. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) have the immunomodulatory capacity and paracrine signaling that are useful for tissue bioengineering to treat bone and cartilage injuries. MRI is a non-invasive method for morphologic and quantitative evaluations. This study aims to develop an innovative technology through a tridimensional (3D) model based on MRI to describe cartilage restoration by tissue engineering and cell therapy treatments in a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) translational large animal model
A controlled experimental study in fourteen Brazilian miniature pigs was performed, using scaffold-free Tissue Engineering Construct (TEC) from dental pulp and synovial MSCs with 6 months follow-up. To compare the cartilage with and without TEC, MRI were collected from both knees using two sequences, followed by the 3D reconstruction using the software 3D Slicer.
The tissue repair was morphologically assessed from MRI and the 3D reconstruction of the images demonstrated the volume difference of the cartilage with and without TEC.
The 3D reconstruction of the knee cartilage was performed based on MRI stablished protocol and was capable to assess the quality and quantity of the cartilage, demonstrating its high clinical relevance.