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Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume, Vol 90-B, Issue 6, 814-820.
doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.90B6.20079  
Copyright © 2008 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery
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The in vitro effects of bupivacaine on articular chondrocytes

C. R. Chu, MD, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery1; N. J. Izzo, PhD, Research Associate1; C. H. Coyle, PhD, Research Associate1; N. E. Papas, BS, Research Specialist1; and A. Logar, BS, Research Specialist2

1 Cartilage Restoration Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3471 Fifth Ave, Suite 911, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA.
2 Department of Pediatrics Children’s Hospital, 3460 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.

Correspondence should be sent to Professor C. R. Chu; e-mail: chucr{at}upmc.edu

We have studied the effects of bupivacaine on human and bovine articular chondrocytes in vitro. Time-lapse confocal microscopy of human articular chondrocytes showed > 95% cellular death after exposure to 0.5% bupivacaine for 30 minutes. Human and bovine chondrocytes exposed to 0.25% bupivacaine had a time-dependent reduction in viability, with longer exposure times resulting in higher cytotoxicity. Cellular death continued even after removal of 0.25% bupivacaine. After exposure to 0.25% bupivacaine for 15 minutes, flow cytometry showed bovine chondrocyte viability to be 41% of saline control after seven days. After exposure to 0.125% bupivacaine for up to 60 minutes, the viability of both bovine and human chondrocytes was similar to that of control groups.

These data show that prolonged exposure 0.5% and 0.25% bupivacaine solutions are potentially chondrotoxic.






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Hip, Knee, Trauma, Upper limb, Foot & Ankle, Paediatrics, Oncology, Spine, Arthroplasty, General