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Cell-based Therapy Improves Function in Adolescents and Young Adults With Patellar Osteochondritis Dissecans

  • Symposium: Osteochondritis Dissecans
  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®

Abstract

Background

Recent advances have been made in using chondrocytes and other cell-based therapy to treat cartilage defects in adults. However, it is unclear whether these advances should be extended to the adolescent and young adult-aged patients.

Questions/purposes

We assessed cell-based surgical therapy for patellar osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in adolescents and young adults by (1) determining function with the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective and Lysholm-Gillquist scores; and (2) evaluating activity level using the Tegner-Lysholm scale.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 23 patients between 12 and 21 years of age (mean 16.8 years) treated for OCD lesions involving the patella from 2001 to 2008. Twenty patients had autologous chondrocyte implantation and three patients had cultured bone marrow stem cell implantation. There were 19 males and four females. We obtained preoperative CT scans to assess patella subluxation, tilt, and congruence angle to determine choice of treatment. We obtained IKDC subjective knee evaluation scores, Tegner-Lysholm activity levels, and Lysholm-Gillquist knee scores preoperatively and at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively.

Results

Mean IKDC score, Tegner-Lysholm outcomes, and Lysholm-Gillquist scale improved from 45, 2.5, and 50, respectively, at surgery to 75, 4, and 70, respectively, at 24-month followup. Complications include periosteal hypertrophy observed in two patients.

Conclusion

Cell-based therapy was associated with short-term improvement in function in adolescents and young adults with patellar OCD.

Level of Evidence

Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Bryon J. X. Teo

  2. Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Kizher Buhary BEng

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Bee-Choo Tai PhD

  4. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    James H. Hui FRCS

Authors
  1. Bryon J. X. Teo
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  2. Kizher Buhary BEng
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  3. Bee-Choo Tai PhD
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  4. James H. Hui FRCS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to James H. Hui FRCS.

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Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.

All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request.

Each author certifies that his or her institution approved the human protocol for this investigation, that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research, and that informed consent for participation in the study was obtained.

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Teo, B.J.X., Buhary, K., Tai, BC. et al. Cell-based Therapy Improves Function in Adolescents and Young Adults With Patellar Osteochondritis Dissecans. Clin Orthop Relat Res 471, 1152–1158 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-012-2338-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-012-2338-z

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