title: The surgical technique of autologous chondrocyte transplantation of the talus with use of a periosteal graft. Surgical technique.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite its highly specialized nature, articular cartilage has a poor reparative capability. Treatment of symptomatic osteochondral defects of the talus has been especially difficult until now.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed autologous chondrocyte transplantation in twelve patients with a focal deep cartilage lesion of the talus. There were seven female and five male patients with a mean age of 29.7 years. The mean size of the lesion was 2.3 cm(2). All patients were studied prospectively. Evaluation was performed with use of the Hannover ankle rating score, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, a visual analog scale for pain, and magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were available for follow-up at a mean of sixty-three months. There was a significant improvement in the Hannover score, from 40.4 points preoperatively to 85.5 points at the follow-up examination, with seven excellent results, four good results, and one satisfactory result. The AOFAS mean score was 88.4 points compared with 43.5 points preoperatively. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a nearly congruent joint surface in seven patients, discrete irregularities in four, and an incongruent surface in one. The patients who had been involved in competitive sports were able to return to their full activity level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The promising clinical results of this study suggest that autologous chondrocyte transplantation is an effective and safe way to treat symptomatic osteochondral defects of the talus in appropriately selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Georg-August University Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany. mike.baums@freenet.de
authors.forename: Mike H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Baums
authors.forename: Gabert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heidrich
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Hanno
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Steckel
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kahl
authors.forename: Hans-Michael
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Klinger