Results of Microfracture in the Osteoarthritic Knee with Focal Full-Thickness Articular Cartilage Defects and Concomitant Medial Meniscal Tears

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of arthroscopic microfracture in patients with focal full-thickness cartilage defects in the osteoarthritic knee. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-six patients were enrolled in this study. They were divided into group I (n=38) who underwent microfracture plus meniscectomy and group II (n=38) who underwent only meniscectomy. Clinical and radiological evaluations were performed. RESULTS: At the time of the three-year follow-up, a total of five failures (6.6%) were reported: four patients in group I and one in group II. The two groups showed no significant difference in the Lysholm score, the Tegner activity score and the visual analog pain scale score at three years after surgery. However, at the time of the three-month follow-up, group II showed significantly more improvement in the Tegner activity and the visual analog pain score compared with group I. CONCLUSIONS: In the osteoarthritic knee, additional microfracture did not confer any additional benefit to meniscectomy.