The invention is further directed to producing a cleaned, disinfected, and devitalized
cartilage graft by optionally cleaning and disinfecting the
cartilage graft; treating the
cartilage graft in a pretreatment solution; treating the
cartilage graft in an extracting solution; washing the extracted
cartilage graft with a rinsing solution; and subsequently soaking the devitalized
cartilage graft in a storage solution. The devitalized cartilage graft is essentially free from metabolically viable and / or reproductively viable cells and the rinsing solution is hypotonic solution or isotonic solution. The present invention is further directed to a cleaned, disinfected, and devitalized cartilage graft and a process for cleaning, disinfecting, and devitalizing cartilage grafts. The invention also relates to a process for repairing a cartilage defect and implantation of a cartilage graft into a human or animal by crafting the
cartilage matrix into individual grafts, disinfecting and cleaning the cartilage graft, applying a pretreatment solution to the cartilage graft, removing
cellular debris using an extracting solution to produce a devitalized cartilage graft, implanting the cartilage graft into the cartilage defect with or without an
insertion device, and sealing the implanted cartilage graft with recipient tissue. The devitalized cartilage graft is optionally recellularized
in vitro,
in vivo, or in situ with viable cells to render the tissue vital before or after the implantation. The devitalized cartilage graft is also optionally stored between the removing
cellular debris and the recellularizing steps.