INTRODUCTION​

• Knee articular cartilage lesions are characterized by injuries to the cartilage in the knee joint

• Articular cartilage has limited, if any, capacity to self-heal or regenerate

• Cartilage injuries are believed to progress, resulting in degenerative arthritis of the injured joint

• Articular cartilage lesion progression may be dependent on size, location, presence of arthritis, and/or the status of the underlying bone as well as on patient factors such as age, limb alignment, joint stability, and body mass index

CAUSES 

• Articular cartilage lesions usually occur from a trauma such as a twisting or direct injury to the knee

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• Pain and swelling in the knee 

• Oftentimes associated with mechanical symptoms like catching and popping

• Pain is usually worse after activity but can also be present at rest

TREATMENT​​

• Treatment of knee articular cartilage lesions is dependent on multiple factors including patient age, size of lesion, and whether the lesion is stable or unstable

• There are several principal cartilage restoration procedures that have been evaluated in randomized clinical trials:

• Microfracture

• Osteochondral Allograft Transplant

• Osteochondral Autograft Transfer

• Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI)

• Particulated Articular Cartilage Transplant

​