Benefits of Ilizarov automated bone distraction for nerves and articular cartilage in experimental leg lengthening

Table 7 Average morphometric parameters of articular cartilage (mean ± SD)

Parameters/group and t-points	Cartilage thickness (mKm)	Chondrocytes volumetric density (%)	Isogenic groups	Empty lacunas
			(% of chondrocyte sample)
Intact control	475.5 ± 1.31	9.03 ± 1.51	14.5	13.6
M-group - manual distraction (1 mm/d in 4 steps)
28 d of distraction	710.3 ± 7.16a	4.13 ± 0.28a	24.7	29.97
30 d of fixation	421.1 ± 4.81a	5.1 ± 0.27a	20.18	20.85
30 d without apparatus	416.9 ± 4.37a	5.6 ± 0.19a	16.1	21.12
A-group - automatic distraction (1 mm/d in 60 steps)
28 d of distraction	356.45 ± 1.55ac	8.34 ± 0.48ac	25.6	24.3
30 d of fixation	392.7 ± 2.12ac	6.8 ± 0.45ac	28.8	16.3
30 d without apparatus	464.6 ± 6.51c	7.96 ± 0.37ac	29.9	15.4

^aP < 0.05 vs intact;

^cP < 0.05 vs group M.