Category: Sports Introduction/Purpose: Osteochondral lesions (OCL) of the talus are frequently seen after ankle injury and often result in significant morbidity. Apart from a single case report, we are the first to present a case series of OCLs treated with bone marrow aspirate and micronized extracellular allograft cartilage matrix designed to serve as a scaffold to promote autologous healing. Short to mid-term outcomes using this technique are virtually absent in the literature. In this study, we sought to assess pre- and post-procedural functional outcomes using the validated Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) as well as assess cartilage incorporation on postoperative ankle MRI using the Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) scoring. Methods: Twelve patients with symptomatic talar OCLs (14 lesions) were prospectively recruited. Average age was 44 years. Each underwent ankle arthroscopy, ankle arthrotomy, marrow stimulation and lesion repair using BMA and micronized extracellular allograft cartilage matrix by a single fellowship trained foot and ankle Orthopedic Surgeon. Preoperative, 6 month and 1 year postoperative PROMIS pain and function scores were collected prospectively. At six months, all patients underwent ankle MRI scans that were reviewed by a fellowship trained musculoskeletal radiologist for MOCART scoring. Results: No significant difference was detected between mean pre- and postoperative PROMIS function (41.4 vs 38.1; p=.54) and pain (61.3 vs 66.1) scores at 6 months. No significant difference was seen between mean pre- and postoperative PROMIS function (41.4 vs 41.8; p=.93) and pain (61.3 vs 58; p=.48) scores at 1 year. Mean postoperative MOCART score was 53.2 with a range of 5 to 90. Conclusion: Bone marrow aspirate and extracellular allograft cartilage matrix for surgical treatment of talar OCL showed no statistically significant improvement in functional outcomes at 6 months and 1 year. No correlation between functional outcomes and MOCART score was seen.
Establishing proof of concept: Platelet-rich plasma and bone marrow aspirate concentrate may improve cartilage repair following surgical treatment for osteochondral lesions of the talus
