title: Treatment of articular cartilage defects with the autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT).
abstract: Symptomatic chondral lesions in the knee remain a problem for young sportsmen and pose a difficult management issue for orthopedic surgeons and patients alike. Damaged articular cartilage has a limited potential for healing and can lead to premature arthritis. Articular defects larger than 2 mm to 4 mm in diameter rarely heal. Neither articular cartilage possesses a lymphatic drainage, a sufficient blood supply, nor neural elements. Also, they are sheltered even from immunological recognition, because of the extracellular matrix surrounding the chondrocyte.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany Italy.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burkart
authors.forename: Andreas Balthasar
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Imhoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous