Abstract #1255

Fishbein K, Sharma B, Gurkan I, Ramaswamy S, Cascio B, Spencer R, Elisseeff J

Hydrogel-based cartilage repair is of potential significant therapeutic interest. In situ gel photopolymerization represents one such approach. An important consideration in this repair procedure is the stability of the hydrogel within the cartilage defect. We monitored this stability using MRI, evaluating repair in rabbit joints after a 4-week period of residence in the living animal, and further investigated CS-MA-ald as a bonding material. Our results indicate that cartilage integration can be evaluated with MRI, and that this bonding agent permits improved integration of the implant with surrounding tissue and augments early cartilage repair.