title: Practical execution of defect preparation prior to surgical cartilage intervention: results from a representative meeting survey among experts.
abstract: During a specialised orthopedic meeting held on 'the state of the art in cartilage defect repair', all previously fully-registered participants were requested to participate in an electronic survey by the use of a moderator-presented "Power Point Presentation-based" 9-item questionnaire. The aim of this survey was to assess indication, approach, and treatment execution of cartilage defect debridement prior to planned microfracture (MFX) or autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). All participants completed the questionnaire (n = 146) resulting in a return rate of 100 %. An uncertainty exists as to whether the removal of the calcifying layer prior to cartilage repair must be carried out or not. The same was true for the acceptability of subchondral bleeding prior to microfracturing and its handling prior to autologous chondrocyte implantation. There is a degree of unanimity among experts regarding the management of osteophytes and bone marrow edema. In a homogenous society collective of consultants that frequently deal with cartilage defective pathologies, there still remain a significant heterogeneity in selected topics of defect debridement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Schulthess Clinic, Lengghalde 2, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gian M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Salzmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Albert-Ludwigs University Medical Center Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Niemeyer
authors.affiliation: Hessinpark Klinik, Augsburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.affiliation: Orthopädie, Uniklinik Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kreuz
authors.affiliation: Hirslanden Klinik Birshof, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: OCC Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ayeesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mujeeb
authors.affiliation: Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosenberger
authors.affiliation: Hirslanden Klinik Zürich, Zurich, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steinwachs
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Franz Josef Strauß Allee 11, 93042 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angele
keywords: Cartilage; Cartilage repair; Cartilage transplantation; Microfracture; Survey