The induction of IL-1 by freeze-dried ethylene oxide-treated bone-patellar tendon-bone allograft wear particles: an in vitro study.

There have been recent reports of adverse clinical results with freeze-dried ethylene oxide-treated bone-patellar tendon-bone (FD-ETO-BPTB) allografts used in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Ethylene oxide and its residues were implicated as the cause of many of the failures. Wear particles generated from both freeze-dried ethylene oxide-treated and deep frozen bone-patellar tendon-bone (DF-BPTB) allografts were placed in culture with lapine synoviocytes. The resulting synovial-conditioned media were then assayed for interleukin-1 (IL-1) content. IL-1 is a potent mediator of tissue inflammation. FD-ETO-BPTB wear particles generated statistically significant levels of IL-1 when compared with both a negative control and DF-BPTB wear particles.