Chondral Defect Repair with Particulated Juvenile Cartilage Allograft

OBJECTIVE: This case study of 4 patients followed for at least 2 years was conducted to evaluate a cartilage repair procedure that involves transplanting particulated juvenile allograft cartilage. DESIGN: A multicenter, prospective, single-arm, 25-subject case study was designed to evaluate clinical outcomes such as IKDC and KOOS scores as well as the extent and quality of repair with MRI. In addition, there is an option for the transplants to be biopsied at various time points after implantation (up to 5 years). Currently, 25 patients with 1 or 2 chondral lesions on the femoral condyles and trochlea have been enrolled and treated in the prospective study. RESULTS: The first 4 patients have completed an evaluation at 24 months postoperative follow-up. Improvements in clinical outcomes over the preoperative baseline data have been observed. CONCLUSIONS: The present report describes, for the first time, clinical intermediate-term results of a novel cartilage repair procedure that involves transplanting particulated juvenile cartilage tissue allograft into prepared cartilage lesions of the femoral condyles and/or trochlea. Clinical outcome data of 4 patients who have reached the 24-month postimplantation milestone indicate early positive outcomes and suggest that this technique is capable of improving clinical symptoms. MRI data suggest that defect filling is possible and persists to at least 2 years. Continued clinical evaluation of this technique is needed with extended follow-up of all 25 patients in the series.