Geometric Reconstruction of Cartilage Tissue With Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Assisted Electromechanical Reshaping: An Experimental Study

Shaping the ear cartilage and preserving the shape are important and quite difficult. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Wharton's jelly-derived stem cell-assisted electromechanical reshaping method in a rabbit ear cartilage defect model and to compare it with surgical reshaping. For the purpose of 25 × 4-mm cartilage defect reconstruction, 48 rabbit ears were divided into 2 main groups according to the shaping method, and these main groups were divided into 3 subgroups according to stem cell injection: control, sham, and stem cell. A rabbit ear cartilage defect was created, and rib cartilage was collected for reconstruction. Although electromechanical reshaping was performed in accordance with the rabbit ear geometry angle, surgical scoring and suturing were performed in the classical method. Stem cells were applied in the first week, and the grafts were removed in the first month. Analyses included angular change, weight change, and histopathology. In this study, electromechanical reshaping was histopathologically similar to surgical reshaping and is more effective in preserving the shape. Cartilage thickness and weight were higher in stem cell groups. Electromechanical reshaping is emerging as an effective and standardized method to maintain cartilage stability and geometry and offers a viable alternative to classic surgical techniques. In addition, stem cell application gave physical strength to cartilage. It is a method that allows us to obtain more stable and more durable cartilages that maintain given shape with the combination of Wharton jelly-assisted electromechanical reshaping method.