Resorption of calcified and decalcified costal cartilage

Summary Cartilage is used in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Ageing of cartilage, followed by calcification, makes cartilage implants susceptible to resorption. However, it has been suggested that decalcified cartilage resists resorption. In the present work resorption of calcified and decalcified cartilage implants in isogenic and allogenic rats was studied in detail. Calcified implants were strongly resorbed and slightly ossified after 3 months. However, decalcified costal cartilage implants were not resorbed and ossified until the third month, i.e. at the end of the observation period, in iso- and allogenic transplants. Furthermore, there was no lymphocytic accumulation observed around decalcified implants as there was around untreated allogenic implants. It is suggested that screening of cartilage implant material for calcium salts with subsequent decalcification when necessary may decrease the number of resorbed and ossified implants. Further, it may protect against immunological response to allograft implantation.