Influence of irrigation solutions on human articular chondrocytes viability following mechanical or thermal injuryI

Summary Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the influence of different irrigation solutions on chondrocyte viability and metabolism following mechanical or thermal injury, offering suitable irrigation solutions for arthroscopic surgery. Equipment and methods Osteochondral tissues were harvested from patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Mechanical injury models were established by cutting into cartilage strips, thermal injury models were established by radiofrequency, and they were incubated in different irrigation solutions for 2 hours. Percentage of cell death was quantified with the laser confocal microscopy. The HIF-1ɑ and type II collagen mRNA yields of cultured chondrocytes in various solutions were quantified with real-time PCR. The proteoglycan elution of cartilage strips was determined and the fiber exposure on cartilage surface was observed by scanning electron microscope. Results In situ chondrocyte, percentage of cell death was the lowest in the Balanced salt and was the highest in the saline (mechanical: P = 0.001; thermal: P = 0.002) after mechanical and thermal injury. In chondrocytes, HIF-1ɑ and type II collagen mRNA yields were greater for cell exposed to Balanced salt and Ringer's lactate and were lower for cell exposed to mannitol and saline (P = 0.001). Proteoglycan elution was least for strips exposed to mannitol and were greatest for strips exposed to saline (P = 0.001). The fiber exposure was greatest for cartilage surface incubated in saline, which showed the roughest appearance. Conclusions Irrigation solutions played an important role on the survival and metabolism of chondrocytes following injury. Ringer's solution and Balance salt had less adverse effect on chondrocyte survival after mechanical or thermal injury and were much more beneficial to cartilage repair than saline.