Practical execution of defect preparation prior to surgical cartilage intervention: results from a representative meeting survey among experts

During a specialised orthopedic meeting held on ‘the state of the art in cartilage defect repair’, all previously fully-registered participants were requested to participate in an electronic survey by the use of a moderator-presented “Power Point Presentation-based” 9-item questionnaire. The aim of this survey was to assess indication, approach, and treatment execution of cartilage defect debridement prior to planned microfracture (MFX) or autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). All participants completed the questionnaire (n = 146) resulting in a return rate of 100 %. An uncertainty exists as to whether the removal of the calcifying layer prior to cartilage repair must be carried out or not. The same was true for the acceptability of subchondral bleeding prior to microfracturing and its handling prior to autologous chondrocyte implantation. There is a degree of unanimity among experts regarding the management of osteophytes and bone marrow edema. In a homogenous society collective of consultants that frequently deal with cartilage defective pathologies, there still remain a significant heterogeneity in selected topics of defect debridement.