Arthroplasty by osteocartilaginous graft in primates

Joint surface grafting has evolved from use of cadaveric materials preserved chemically and physically, to viable allogeneic and autogenic grafts in nearly a century of surgical history. Technical problems arising at the interface between foreign substances and living tissues has limited engineering arthroplasty such that a biological grafting process is eagerly sought. If successful with long periods of joint functioning, the scope of application to human victims of trauma, disease, and tumors of joints is wide. Whereas rabbits and dogs have been extensively used as models, primates have not. Whereas osteochondral allografts in Papio ursinus (the South African baboon) have been quite successful in hip, knee and shoulder joints, but the follow-up has been no more than a few years. Human autografts have been successful with periods of 10 and 15 years, but the present series is inadequate for statistical assessment. Further investigations of allografts and autografts in human joints are warranted.