Trapezoidal osteochondral autologous plug single-block graft for treating chondral lesions of the knee: clinical and functional medium-term results in an observational study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical and functional results of autologous trapezoidal plug single-block grafts fixed with absorbable chondral darts in patients with osteochondral knee lesions of varying sizes.


METHODS
Twenty-five patients underwent surgery from February 2000 to June 2008. Seventy-two percent of the patients were male, and the mean age was 29 years.


RESULTS
The right side (56%) and the medial condyle (92%) were most affected. The lesions had an average area of 5.28 cm(2), and the mean follow-up was 59 months. All of the variables other than instability showed significant improvements (p<0.05), as shown by the increase in the mean Lysholm score from 55 points preoperatively to 92 points (p<0.001) postoperatively. There was no loosening or collapse of the osteochondral graft. All of the patients had patellofemoral crepitation and pain for an average of six months.


CONCLUSIONS
Autologous trapezoidal plug single-block grafts are a therapeutic option for defects of varying sizes and provide good clinical results and low morbidity at the donor site in the medium term.
CEMKA (Centro Medico Kawano), São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
Cezar Teruyuki
CT
Kawano
Márcio Moura Rocha dos
MM
Santos
Marcus Guilherme de
MG
Oliveira
Tadeu Colens
TC
Ourivio
D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010007:Osteochondritis / Q000601:surgery*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult