Microvascular transplantation of physeal allografts

We compared growth in vascularised allograft transplants, autografts and in non-operated physes in rabbits immunosuppressed with cyclosporin A and in non-immunosuppressed animals. Molecular haplotyping was undertaken before operation to ensure allogenicity. Postoperative bone scans and fluorochrome labelling were used to confirm physeal vascularity. The animals were killed at three or five weeks. Proximal tibial physeal autografts, with or without cyclosporin A, or allografts with cyclosporin A, grew at similar rates to the physes of non-operated rabbits. All the operated physes grew at rates significantly greater than their contralateral controls. 99mTc-MDP bone scans accurately predicted the viability of the epiphyseal plate. Quantitative histomorphological analysis of the heights of the physeal proliferative and hypertrophic zones showed that successful physeal transplants have a normal appearance, but when unsuccessful have thickened hypertrophic zones compatible with physeal ischaemia. We discuss the significance of these results in relation to the transplantation of physes in children.