title: Good short- to medium-term results after osteochondral autograft transplantation (OAT) in middle-aged patients with focal, non-traumatic osteochondral lesions of the knee.
abstract: Osteochondral autograft transplantation (OAT) offers the opportunity to repair cartilaginous defects by restoring hyaline cartilage anatomy. Encouraging results have been reported in patients suffering from acute knee trauma or osteochondritis dissecans. Patients with focal chronic, non-traumatic osteochondral (FCNO) lesions of the knee, however, have rarely been the subject of investigation. Some authors even consider higher age as contraindications to OAT.
  
  
  
  To assess the short- to medium-term outcomes of OAT in middle-aged patients with FCNO lesions of the knee and to identify predictors of clinical outcome.
  
  
  
  Filling FCNO defects with autologous osteochondral grafts should restore the congruency of the middle-aged knee joint and thereby reduce pain and loss of function on the one hand, and increase quality of life on the other hand.
  
  
  
  One hundred and twelve patients (48.01±1.12yrs) with FCNO of the knee were assessed before OAT and 26.2±0.24 months after surgery. Clinical outcome was measured by WOMAC Index and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain.
  
  
  
  Pain (pre-OAT VAS vs. post-OAT VAS: 7.14±0.19 vs. 3.74±0.26, P<0.001) was reduced and quality of life (pre-OAT WOMAC vs. post-OAT WOMAC: 134.88±5.84 vs. 65.92±5.34, P<0.001) improved. Retropatellar defects were associated with poor outcome, while overall surface and number of cylinders were not.
  
  
  
  Middle-aged patients with FCNO of the knee also profit from OAT at a short follow-up.
  
  
  
  IV. Mono-centric, prospective clinical series.
authors.affiliation: Associate practice at Königsallee, centre for molecular orthopaedics, Düsseldorf, Germany; University clinic for orthopaedics, Heinrich-Heine university Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: axel@baltzer.at.
authors.forename: A W A
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Baltzer
authors.affiliation: Clinic for orthopaedics and trauma surgery, St. Josef Hospital, Moers, Germany; Institute of experimental psychology, Heinrich-Heine university, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ostapczuk
authors.affiliation: Clinic for anaesthesiology and intensive care, St. Antonius Hospital, Kleve, Germany.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Terheiden
authors.affiliation: Clinic and outpatient clinic for orthopaedics and orthopaedic surgery, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt university, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Merk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000637:transplantation*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Articular cartilage; Focal osteoarthritis; Knee; Non-traumatic osteochondral lesion; Osteochondral autologous transplantation