Osteochondral lesion of the tibial plafond treated with a retrograde osteochondral autograft: a report of two cases

BACKGROUND: Osteochondral lesions (OCLs) of the tibial plafond (OLTPs) are rare, and few studies provide treatment recommendations. We describe two cases of an OLTP that were treated with retrograde osteochondral autograft. CASE REPORTS: The first case was a 27-year-old basketball player and the second case was a 38-year-old soccer player. We harvested osteochondral autografts from the nonweight-bearing area of the lateral femoral condyle of the patient’s ipsilateral knees. The grafts were reversed and inserted into the bone tunnel reaching the OLTPs starting proximally and moving distally. The first patient was able to play professional basketball 14 months after the procedure and continues to play 5 years and 6 months later. The second patient was able to play recreational soccer 9 months after the procedure and continues to play 4 years later. CONCLUSION: Use of the retrograde osteochondral autograft produced satisfactory results including the return to sports. The retrograde osteochondral autograft can be considered recommendable for treating OLTPs.