Autologous costal perichondrium was transplanted to a full-thickness articular cartilage defect in a rabbit knee. The result was compared with a non-treated defect in the contralateral knee and with autologous fascia grafting. In the costal perichondrium grafting group, repair tissue was created by mesenchymal cells from bone marrow, not by the perichondrium. The non-grafted and fascia grafting group showed no improvement.
