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Background:Hyaline cartilage has only a very restricted capability of regeneration in the adult. The incidence of chondral lesions at the knee is high, especially those of Grade II/III (Outerbridge). Therapies combining cells and biological scaffolds are promising biological approaches for the treatment of cartilage defects. The aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of in vitro culture of human chondrocytes on decellularized amniochorionic membrane (ACM).Methods:Between December 2010 and December 2011, 16 samples of cartilage from a living donor were processed, but only 7 of them were analyzed. Chondrocytes were grown and amplified on plastic and on ACM. The following analyses were carried out with those cells: interactions between cells and ACM; ACM capacity as a matrix for cells; and behavior of cells cultured on ACM. Results:In vitro chondrocytes exhibited phenotypic changes in the presence of ACM. The cells were able to adhere and remain on the spongy region of the membrane. Electron microscopy of cultured ACM showed cells, well preserved organelles, endoplasmic reticulum and desmosomes junctions.Conclusions:The feasibility of culturing chondrocytes on ACM was shown in this work. The cells were able to adhere, remain and differentiate on this membrane during the study period.
