RESUMO
PURPOSE: The lack of vascularity in the hyaline cartilage is thought to be the main cause of why the cartilage can not repair itself. Therefore, authors designed the reversed intraarticular periosteal flap which preserves the vascular system to the periosteum and assesses neochondrogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects used were 90 white New Zealand rabbits. Reversed intraarticular periosteal flap, intraarticular periosteal free flap and inducing articular cartilage defect only were performed in 30 rabbits, respectively. We compared the results of each groups according to gross morphology of regenerated tissue, histology and histochemical findings. RESULTS: Reversed intraarticular periosteal flap group and intraarticular periosteal free flap group resulted in better cartilage formation than in the articular cartilage defect only group and the reversed intraarticular periosteal flap group had better results than intraarticular periosteal free flap group even though the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The reversed intraarticular periosteal flap was thought to be one of the methods which preserves the vascular system in the process of cartilage regeneration with periosteum.