[Disintegration of enzymatically pretreated cartilage after subcutaneous implantation]

The influence of previous digestion of cartilage proteoglycans and collagen on cartilage resorption in implants was studied. After implantation for 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks the morphology of the implants was studied by light microscopy. It was found that enzymatic treatment of cartilage with hyaluronidase, collagenase as well as the combination of both enzymes slightly increased the resorption by granulation tissue. From these studies it can be concluded, that cartilage depletion of proteoglycans facilitates cartilage degradation, however it is not the only reason for the severe cartilage destruction seen in arthritic joints.