Objective: Assorted treatment methods of articular cartilage injury are known. The using of allogenic MSCs (Mesenchymal stem cells) get from bone marrow blood brings combinated with new composite collagen/chi-tosan scaffold new possibilities in treatment of these defects. The aim of our study was to examine the therapeutic effect of this transplantation.

Methods: Experimental group A (20 miniatuture pigs), allogenic MSCs in composite scaffold were transplanted into a iatrogenic defect on articular cartilage of lateral condyle of left distal femur. Control group B (20 miniatuture pigs), only composite scaffold were transplanted into a iatrogenic defect on articular cartilage in the same place. The finally results in both groups were by histological examination (H-E, PAS, ELISA, FISH – MSCs was with labeled fluorochrome CM-DiI) determinated. For objective evaluation we used the histological - histochemical O’Driscoll score.

Results: In group A the ‘Driscoll score (quality of cartilage healing) was 16,3±2,2, in group B 10,0±1,56. Imunohistochemical examination the collagen II fibres detected in group A in 80%, FISH detected fluorochrome CM-DiI in 75% in new cartilage.

Conclusion: MSCs transplantation leads to much better resluts of healing compared with untreated defects in control group (only scaffold transplnatation). Supported by the Research Projects of MSMT (NPV II 2B06130).