A clinical review of cartilage repair techniques.

©2005 British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery doi:10.1302/0301-620X.87B4. 15971 $2.00 J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 2005;87-B:445-9. Chondral injuries involving the knee are common. In a recent study of 993 consecutive arthroscopies scored using the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) knee evaluation form, 1 articular cartilage pathology was found in 66% of patients, while 11% had localised, full-thickness lesions which might have been suitable for cartilage repair procedures. Another review, of 31 000 arthroscopic procedures, found articular cartilage lesions in 63% 2 and another reported the incidence of localised chondral and osteochondral lesions in 1000 consecutive arthroscopies to be 19%. 3 Debate still persists about the best treatment for symptomatic chondral defects. Here, we discuss the efficacy of the different surgical techniques that may be used to address these lesions.