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Outcomes Associated with Return to Sports Following Osteochondral Allograft Transplant in the Knee: a Scoping Review

  • Outcomes Research in Orthopedics (O Ayeni, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The purposes of this review were to report the currently validated outcomes for OCA transplant patients, discuss the benefits and challenges associated with “return to sports” as an outcome measure, and summarize the currently available data on patients’ ability to return to sports after OCA transplant.

Recent Findings

College athletes may take less time than professionals to return to basketball, but there are many factors that can influence this timeframe. Player productivity is decreased ~ 40% and future career length is only 1 to 2 years following return to play. When evaluating all OCA transplant patients, 75–88% of patients return to sport and 38–80% return to their previous level of play at approximately 8–10 months following surgery. Overall graft failure rates are low (0–9.4%) but are based on limited short- to medium-term data.

Summary

Data on the return to professional and college sports after OCA transplant is limited. Surgeons should consider collecting patient outcomes across multiple domains and contributing data to aggregate databases to allow for better quality outcome data to be reported.

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Notes

  1. AMIC: Autologous Matrix-Induced Chondrogenesis

  2. MACI: Matrix-Associated Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation

  3. International Knee Documental Committee (IKDC) score [35]

  4. Knee Injury and Osteoathritis Outcome Score (KOOS) [36]

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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  1. MedSport, University of Michigan, 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr. Suite 1000, Box 391, Ann Arbor, MI, 48106, USA

    John A. Grant

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JAG has received research grants and consultancy fees from JRF Ortho. JAG has received financial support for attending symposia and consultancy fees from Ossur Inc.

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Grant, J.A. Outcomes Associated with Return to Sports Following Osteochondral Allograft Transplant in the Knee: a Scoping Review. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 12, 181–189 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-019-09557-3

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