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Repair of retropatellar cartilage defects in the knee with microfracture and a cell-free polymer-based implant

  • Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

To analyze magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3T and the clinical outcome in a short-term pilot study after treatment of retropatellar cartilage defects with microfracturing and subsequent covering with the cell-free chondrotissue® polyglycolic acid–hyaluronan implant.

Methods

Five consecutive patients after microfracturing and defect coverage with the chondrotissue® implant immersed with autologous serum were included. After a mean follow-up of 21 months (range 11–31 months), defect fill and repair tissue quality was assessed by 3-T MRI followed by applying established MRI scoring systems. The patients’ situation was assessed using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and a patients’ satisfaction questionnaire.

Results

Magnetic resonance imaging showed good to excellent defect fill with complete integration. The mean MOCART score was 61 (range 50–75) points. The mean Henderson score was 7 (range 6–9) points. All patients showed subchondral bone alterations. The KOOS showed good values in all sub-categories in 4 out of 5 patients and a mean overall score of 73 (range 40–90) points. Two patients rated the outcome as excellent, two as good and one as fair. All patients would have the procedure again and recommend it.

Conclusions

In this small case series, the coverage of symptomatic retropatellar cartilage defects with the chondrotissue® implant after microfracturing was safe and feasible with improvement of the patients’ situation at short-term follow-up.

Level of evidence

IV, case series.

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Conflict of interest

CK is a consultant of BioTissue AG. All other authors declare that there is no financial or other conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Anna-von-Borries-Str. 1-7, 30625, Hannover, Germany

    Christoph Becher, Max Ettinger, Marco Ezechieli & Tomas Smith

  2. TransTissue Technologies GmbH, Berlin, Germany

    Christian Kaps

  3. Radiologie am Raschplatz, Hannover, Germany

    Marc Ewig

Authors
  1. Christoph Becher
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  2. Max Ettinger
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  3. Marco Ezechieli
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  4. Christian Kaps
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Correspondence to Tomas Smith.

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Becher, C., Ettinger, M., Ezechieli, M. et al. Repair of retropatellar cartilage defects in the knee with microfracture and a cell-free polymer-based implant. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 135, 1003–1010 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-015-2235-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-015-2235-5

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