title: Severe posttraumatic radiocarpal cartilage damage: first report of autologous chondrocyte implantation.
abstract: METHODS
  Case report.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Traumatic articular cartilage defects predispose to secondary osteoarthritis accompanied by impairment or complete loss of function in the corresponding joint. On this account, the timely and correct diagnosis as well as the selection of an appropriate therapy for reconstruction of articular cartilage defects is important.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 22-year-old healthy male patient with history of traumatic intra-articular distal radius fracture is presented with in the course detectable 4° cartilage damage in the fovea scaphoidea and into the fovea lunata. For the first time, autologous chondrocyte implantation by the use of an in situ polymerizable albumin-hyaluronic acid gel was performed to restore the articular cartilage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The assessment 6 months after autologous chondrocyte implantation using the standard DASH questionnaire for upper extremity pointed out an improvement in the patient outcome (DASH score pre-operative: 10.8 and 6 months post-operative: 7.5). The clinical examination also showed an improvement in the range of movement of the wrist without pain. The radiological control investigation (MRI- examination) of the wrist 6 months after implantation also revealed a good integration of the implant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The case presented here demonstrates the first use of autologous chondrocyte implantation for cartilage reconstruction using an in situ polymerizable albumin-hyaluronic acid gel after traumatic cartilage lesion with 4° cartilage damage of the wrist in a 22-year-old non-smoking, active and healthy man. Initial results are promising in terms of mobility, pain and patient outcome. However, further clinical studies have to be performed with larger number of cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, Hand and Burn Surgery, BG-Trauma Center, Eberhard Karls University, Schnarrenbergstr. 95, 72076, Tübingen, Germany, Fabian.Medved@gmail.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Medved
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gonser
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lotter
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amr
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Schaller
mesh_terms: D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D057072:Intra-Articular Fractures / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000150:complications*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014954:Wrist Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult