Association between expression of the Bone morphogenetic proteins 2 and 7 in the repair of circumscribed cartilage lesions with clinical outcome

Abstract

Abstract Background Although there is much known about the role of BMPs in cartilage metabolism reliable data about the in vivo regulation in natural and surgically induced cartilage repair are still missing. Methods Lavage fluids of knee joints of 47 patients were collected during surgical therapy. 5 patients had no cartilage lesion and served as a control group, the other 42 patients with circumscribed cartilage defects were treated by microfracturing (19) or by an Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (23). The concentrations of BMP-2 and BMP-7 were determined by ELISA. The clinical status was evaluated using the IKDC Score prior to and 1 year following the operation. Results High level expression in the control group was found for BMP-2, concentrations of BMP-7 remained below detection levels. No statistical differences could be detected in concentrations of BMP-2 or BMP-7 in the lavage fluids of knees with cartilage lesions compared to the control group. Levels of BMP-7 did not change after surgical cartilage repair, whereas concentrations of BMP-2 statistically significant increased after the intervention (p Conclusions BMP-2 seems to play an important role in surgically induced cartilage repair; synovial expression correlates with the clinical outcome.