OCA transplantation was successful as a salvage treatment procedure for cartilage injuries of the patella.

Treatment of chondral and osteochondral knee lesions in young patients remains a challenge for orthopedic surgeons. The repair techniques currently available in Brazil, such as debridement, microfracture and autologous osteochondral transplantation are insufficient for treating large chondral and osteochondral lesions. Fresh homologous osteochondral transplants have been used in the knee joint in the United States The authors declare that there was no conflict of interest in conducting this work This article is available online in Portuguese and English at the websites: www.rbo.org.br and www.scielo.br/rbort Rev Bras Ortop. 2012;47(6):694-700 with excellent results. In this article we are going to review the basic science, indications, surgical techniques and possible complications of fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation in the knee joint. We will also describe some surgeries performed in the Institute.

Objective:The objective of this study was to assess the outcome of osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation as a salvage procedure after various cartilage repair surgeries.Design:One hundred sixty-four knees in 163 patients (mean age = 32.6 years; range = 11-59 years; 55% males) were treated with OCA transplantation after subchondral marrow stimulation (SMS), osteochondral autograft transplantation (OAT), and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). The majority of previous procedures were isolated SMS in 145 knees (88.4%). Mean allograft size was 8.5 ± 7.9 cm2. The most common location was in femoral condyle. The number and type of reoperations on the operative knee were assessed. Failure of the OCA transplantation was defined as any reoperation resulting in removal of the allograft. Functional outcomes were evaluated.Results:Sixty-eight knees had reoperations after OCA transplantation. Thirty-one knees (18.9%) were classified as allograft failures. The median time to failure was 2.6 ± 6.8 years (range = 0.7-23.4 years). Survivorship of the graft was 82% at 10 years and 74.9% at 15 years. Patients whose grafts were still in situ had a mean of 8.5 ± 5.6 years of follow-up. Scores on all functional outcomes scales improved significantly from preoperatively to latest follow-up. Eighty-nine percent of OCA transplantation patients reported being “extremely satisfied” or “satisfied.”Conclusion:Despite the high reoperation rate, OCA transplantation is a successful salvage surgical treatment after cartilage repair procedures. This cohort showed improved survivorship and functional outcomes of OCA transplantation after SMS, ACI, and OAT.