Treatment Options for Focal Cartilage Lesions of the Knee.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Focal lesions of knee cartilage are a common reason for consulting an orthopedist. They may be painful and impair knee joint function. Cartilage lesions can progress to osteoarthritis of the knee. METHODS: This narrative review is based on pertinent publications of the last 25 years that were retrieved by a selective search in PubMed. RESULTS: and sutured onto the edges of the cartilage lesion. The minced cartilage technique is relatively new, and the evidence, thus far, is limited. CONCLUSION: or more is matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation. Smaller lesions can be treated with osteochondral transplantation or bone marrow stimulation, possibly combined with a matrix for medium-sized lesions. The minced cartilage technique has high potential and has yielded promising initial results; its wider implementation will need a larger evidence base.