scholarly journals Fresh Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation for Fractures of the Knee

Cartilage ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme C. Gracitelli ◽  
Luis Eduardo Passarelli Tirico ◽  
Julie C. McCauley ◽  
Pamela A. Pulido ◽  
William D. Bugbee

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate functional outcomes and allograft survivorship among patients with knee fracture who underwent fresh osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation as a salvage treatment option. Design Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Setting Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at one hospital. Patients Fresh OCAs were implanted for osteochondral lesions after knee fracture in 24 males and 15 females with an average age of 34 years. Twenty-nine lesions (74%) were tibial plateau fractures, 6 (15%) were femoral condyle fractures, and 4 (10%) were patella fractures. Main Outcome Measurements Clinical evaluation included modified Merle d’Aubigné-Postel (18-point), International Knee Documentation Committee, and Knee Society function scores, and patient satisfaction. Failure of OCA was defined as revision OCA or conversion to total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Results Nineteen of 39 knees (49%) had further surgery. Ten knees (26%) were considered OCA failures (3 OCA revisions, 6 TKA, and 1 patellectomy). Survivorship of the OCA was 82.6% at 5 years and 69.6% at 10 years. Among the 29 knees (74%) that had the OCA still in situ, median follow-up was 6.6 years. Pain and function improved from preoperative to latest follow-up; 83% of patients reported satisfaction with OCA results. Conclusion OCA transplantation is a useful salvage treatment option for osteochondral lesions caused by knee fracture. Although the reoperation rate was high, successful outcome was associated with significant clinical improvement.

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 900-907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis E.P. Tírico ◽  
Julie C. McCauley ◽  
Pamela A. Pulido ◽  
William D. Bugbee

Background: Cartilage repair algorithms use lesion size to choose surgical techniques when selecting a cartilage repair procedure. The association of fresh osteochondral allograft (OCA) size with graft survivorship and subjective patient outcomes is still unknown. Purpose: To determine if lesion size (absolute or relative) affects outcomes after OCA transplantation. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: The study included 156 knees in 143 patients who underwent OCA transplantation from 1998 to 2014 for isolated femoral condyle lesions. The mean age was 29.6 ± 11.4 years, and 62.9% were male. The majority of patients (62.2%) presented for cartilage repair because of osteochondritis dissecans. The mean graft area, used as a surrogate for absolute size of the lesion, was 6.4 cm2 (range, 2.3-11.5 cm2). The relative size of the lesion was calculated as the tibial width ratio (TWR; ratio of graft area to tibial width) and affected femoral condyle ratio (AFCR; ratio of graft area to affected femoral condyle width) using preoperative radiographs. All patients had a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Further surgical procedures were documented, and graft failure was defined as revision OCA transplantation or conversion to arthroplasty. International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) pain, function, and total scores were obtained. Satisfaction with OCA transplantation was assessed. Results: The mean follow-up among patients with grafts remaining in situ was 6.0 years (range, 1.9-16.5 years). The OCA failure rate was 5.8%. Overall survivorship of the graft was 97.2% at 5 years and 93.5% at 10 years. No difference in postoperative outcomes between groups was found in absolute or relative size. Change in IKDC scores (from preoperative to latest follow-up) was greater for knees with large lesions compared to knees with small lesions, among all measurement methods. Overall satisfaction with the results of OCA transplantation was 89.8%. Conclusion: The size of the lesion, either absolute or relative, does not influence outcomes after OCA transplantation for isolated femoral condyle lesions of the knee.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011420S0038
Author(s):  
Gregory F. Pereira ◽  
John Steele ◽  
Amanda N. Fletcher ◽  
Samuel B. Adams ◽  
Ryan B. Clement

Category: Ankle Introduction/Purpose: The term osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT) refers to any pathology of the talar articular cartilage and corresponding subchondral bone. In general, OLTs can pose a formidable treatment challenge to the orthopaedic surgeon due to the poor intrinsic ability of cartilage to heal as well as the tenuous vascular supply to the talus. Although many treatment options exist, including microfracture, retrograde drilling, autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), and osteochondral autograft transfer system (OATS) these options may be inadequate to treat large cartilage lesions. Osteochondral allografts have demonstrated promise as the primary treatment for OLTs with substantial cartilage and bone involvement. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review of outcomes after fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation for OLTs. Methods: PudMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, and Medline were searched using PRISMA guidelines. Studies that evaluated outcomes in adult patients after fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation for chondral defects of the talus were included. Operative results, according to standardized scoring systems, such as the AOFAS Ankle/Hindfoot scale and the Visual Analog Scale were compared across various studies. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Coleman methodology score. Results: There were a total of 12 eligible studies reporting on 191 patients with OLTs with an average follow-up of 56.8 months (range 6-240). The mean age was 37.5 (range 17-74) years and the overall graft survival rate was 86.6%. The AOFAS Ankle/Hindfoot score was obtained pre- and postoperatively in 6 of the 12 studies and had significant improvements in each (P<0.05). Similarly, the VAS pain score was evaluated in 5 of the 12 studies and showed significant decreases (P<0.05) from pre- to postoperatively with an aggregate mean preoperative VAS score of 7.3 and an aggregate postoperative value of 2.6. The reported short-term complication rate was 0%. The overall failure rate was 13.4% and 21.6% percent of patients had subsequent procedures. Conclusion: The treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus remains a challenge to orthopaedic surgeons. From this systematic review, one can conclude that osteochondral allograft transplantation for osteochondral lesions of the talus results in predictably favorable outcomes with an impressive graft survival rate and high satisfaction rates at intermediate follow-up. [Table: see text]


Cartilage ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 222-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Eduardo Passarelli Tírico ◽  
Marco Kawamura Demange ◽  
Luiz Augusto Ubirajara Santos ◽  
Márcia Uchoa de Rezende ◽  
Camilo Partezani Helito ◽  
...  

Objective To standardize and to develop a fresh osteochondral allograft protocol of procurement, processing and surgical utilization in Brazil. This study describes the steps recommended to make fresh osteochondral allografts a viable treatment option in a country without previous fresh allograft availability. Design The process involves regulatory process modification, developing and establishing procurement, and processing and surgical protocols. Results Legislation: Fresh osteochondral allografts were not feasible in Brazil until 2009 because the law prohibited preservation of fresh grafts at tissue banks. We approved an amendment that made it legal to preserve fresh grafts for 30 days from 2°C to 6°C in tissue banks. Procurement: We changed the protocol of procurement to decrease tissue contamination. All tissues were procured in an operating room. Processing: Processing of the grafts took place within 12 hours of tissue recovery. A serum-free culture media with antibiotics was developed to store the grafts. Surgeries: We have performed 8 fresh osteochondral allografts on 8 knees obtaining grafts from 5 donors. Mean preoperative International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score was 31.99 ± 13.4, improving to 81.26 ± 14.7 at an average of 24 months’ follow-up. Preoperative Knee Injury and Oseoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) score was 46.8 ± 20.9 and rose to 85.24 ± 13.9 after 24 months. Mean preoperative Merle D’Aubigne-Postel score was 8.75 ± 2.25 rising to 16.1 ± 2.59 at 24 months’ follow-up. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first report of fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation in South America. We believe that this experience may be of value for physicians in countries that are trying to establish an osteochondral allograft transplant program.


2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Gaul ◽  
Luís E. P. Tírico ◽  
Julie C. McCauley ◽  
Pamela A. Pulido ◽  
William D. Bugbee

Background: Fresh osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation represents a biologic restoration technique as an alternative treatment option for larger osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate midterm outcomes after OCA transplantation for the treatment of OLT. Methods: Nineteen patients (20 ankles) received partial unipolar OCA transplant for symptomatic OLT between January 1998 and October 2014. The mean age was 34.7 years, and 53% were male. The average graft size was 3.8 cm2. All patients had a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Outcomes included the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Foot and Ankle Module (AAOS-FAM), the Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (OMAS), and pain and satisfaction questionnaires. Failure of OCA was defined as conversion to arthrodesis or revision OCA transplantation. Results: Five of 20 ankles (25%) required further surgery, of which 3 (5%) were considered OCA failures (2 arthrodesis and 1 OCA revision). The mean time to failure was 3.5 (range, 0.9 to 6.7) years. Survivorship was 88.7% at 5 years and 81.3% at 10 years. The median follow-up of the 17 patients with grafts in situ was 9.7 years. The mean OMAS improved significantly from 40 points preoperatively to 71 points postoperatively ( P < .05; range, 5 to 55). The mean postoperative AAOS-FAM core score was 81.5 ± 15 (range, 40.5 to 96.6). Fifteen of 17 patients responded to follow-up questions regarding their ankle; 14 patients reported less pain and better function, and 13 patients were satisfied with the results of the procedure. Conclusion: Our study of midterm results after OCA transplantations showed that this procedure was a reasonable treatment option for large OLT. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (7_suppl4) ◽  
pp. 2325967118S0009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Cotter ◽  
Charles P. Hannon ◽  
Drew A. Lansdown ◽  
Rachel M. Frank ◽  
Brian Robert Waterman ◽  
...  

Objectives: To report the clinical outcomes of snowman technique osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) and clinical outcomes of multifocal OCA. Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent either a primary snowman OCA or multifocal (i.e. bipolar patellofemoral, patellofemoral and a condyle or bicondylar) with a minimum 2-year follow-up by a single surgeon from 4/2003 to 4/2015 were isolated. Failure was defined as revision OCA, conversion to arthroplasty, or gross appearance of graft degeneration on 2nd look arthroscopy. Results: Twenty-six patients (28 knees) were isolated with 22 patients (24 knees; 85.7%) having 2-year clinical follow-up. Nine of 11 patients (81.8%) who underwent isolated condylar snowman allografts met inclusion criteria at mean follow-up of 7.4±3.6 years, while 13 additional patients (15 knees; 88.2%) underwent multifocal OCA at mean follow-up of 6.4±3.9 years. All 9 patients who received isolated snowman OCA were to the medial femoral condyle. Reoperations were common with 44.4% (N=4) of the snowman group and 20% of multifocal OCA (N=3) undergoing at least 1 reoperation. There were 3 failures (33.3%) in the snowman technique group at a mean 7.7±5.5 years and 1 failure in the multifocal OCA group at 4.5 years. All 4 failures underwent TKA. Patients who underwent multifocal OCA demonstrated significant improvements in the International Knee Documentation Committee score, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis subscores, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index subscores, and the Short-Form-12 physical component (P <0.05 for all). Patients who underwent snowman OCA demonstrated significant improvement in KOOS pain subscore and WOMAC overall scores (P<0.05 for both) Table 1]. Conclusion: While in a small cohort, patients who underwent snowman OCA had a high rate of reoperation (44.4%) and a high rate of failure (33.3%). Comparatively, patients who underwent multifocal OCA had reoperation and graft survival rates comparable to published literature for focal OCA. [Table: see text]


Cartilage ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan M. Degen ◽  
Nathan W. Coleman ◽  
Danielle Tetreault ◽  
Brenda Chang ◽  
Greg T. Mahony ◽  
...  

Background Chondral lesions in the patellofemoral compartment represent a difficult entity to treat among active patients, with no clear consensus on the optimal treatment strategy. The purpose of this study was to review the functional outcomes of patients >40 years old with primary patellofemoral osteochondral lesions who underwent a cartilage restoration procedure with a structural graft. Methods Following institutional review board approval, 35 patients >40 years treated for patellofemoral chondral or osteochondral injuries were retrospectively identified. Seventeen (47%) had prior surgery (mean 1.4 procedures, range 1-4). Average follow-up was 3.6 ± 1.6 years. Average patient age was 51.5 years (range 40-72 years); 54% were male. Twenty-six (74%) had isolated trochlear lesions, 7 had isolated patellar lesions (20%), while 2 (6%) had bipolar lesions. Twenty patients (57%) were treated with synthetic biphasic scaffold plugs (SS), 9 (26%) with fresh osteochondral allograft (OCA) and 6 (17%) with osteochondral autograft transfer (OAT). Outcomes were measured with validated measures: Activity of Daily Living Score (ADL), International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Evaluation form, and Marx Activity Scale (MAS). Results The average lesion size for the entire cohort was 3.1 ± 1.7 cm2. Average defect size was 2.6 ± 1.7 cm2 for the SS group, 4.3±1.5 cm2 for the OCA group, and 2.9 ± 0.8 cm2 for the OAT group ( P > 0.051). Outcome scores for the entire population demonstrated significant improvement in ADL ( P = 0.002) and IKDC scores ( P = 0.004) between baseline and final follow-up, while MAS scores were maintained ( P = 0.51). Conclusion Structural grafts are a viable treatment option for symptomatic focal osteochondral lesions of the patellofemoral joint in patients 40 years and older, with anticipated improvements in pain and function and maintenance of preoperative activity levels.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 232596711773054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís E.P. Tírico ◽  
Samuel A. Early ◽  
Julie C. McCauley ◽  
William D. Bugbee

Background: Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SONK) is a clinical entity identified by acute knee pain usually associated with joint effusion, with radiographic findings of a radiolucent defect on the weightbearing area of the femoral condyle. Conservative treatment is initially undertaken; however, surgical procedures are often necessary. Historically, surgical options have included core decompression, cartilage repair, high tibial osteotomy, or joint arthroplasty. Few studies in the literature have reported the use of fresh osteochondral allograft (OCA) for the treatment of SONK lesions. Hypothesis: OCA transplantation is an effective treatment for SONK lesions on the medial femoral condyle. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A case series was analyzed of 7 patients treated with OCA for large SONK lesions of the medial femoral condyle with a minimum 4-year follow-up. All patients experienced failure of at least 6 months of conservative treatment and declined arthroplasty as the form of definitive treatment for medial femoral condyle lesion. All patients underwent OCA of the medial femoral condyle. Mean lesion size was 4.6 cm2 (range, 3.24-6.25 cm2), with a mean condylar width of 41.7 mm (range, 35.4-48.6 mm), resulting in a median proportion (lesion size/condylar width) of 56.8% (range, 32.7%-62.6%). The median surface allograft area was 5.1 cm2 (range, 3.2-6.3 cm2). Results: The median follow-up was 7.1 years (range, 4.5-14.1 years). No patient had additional surgery following OCA transplant; the allograft failure rate was 0%. Subjective outcome scores from the International Knee Documentation Committee, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, and modified Merle d’Aubigné-Postel scale improved from preoperative assessment to the latest follow-up. All patients were extremely satisfied with the results of the OCA transplant. Conclusion: Fresh OCA transplantation demonstrated excellent efficacy, durability, and satisfaction in this group of patients with isolated stage 2 and 3 SONK lesions who had experienced failure of conservative treatment. Fresh osteochondral allografts are an attractive method for surgical management of selected patients with spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee.


Cartilage ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 248-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert C. Hsu ◽  
Luis E. P. Tirico ◽  
Abraham G. Lin ◽  
Pamela A. Pulido ◽  
William D. Bugbee

Objective To evaluate the outcome of patients who have undergone simultaneous osteotomy and osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation. Our hypothesis is that use of high tibial osteotomy and fresh OCA in a combined procedure is safe and effective without increasing morbidity in comparison to OCA alone. Design A case series of 17 patients underwent tibial osteotomy and simultaneous OCA during a single surgery. Osteotomy was indicated when axial alignment was within the affected compartment. Patients had a minimum of 2 years of follow-up after surgery. The mean graft size was 8.7 cm2, with 82% located on the medial femoral condyle alone and 18% involving the medial femoral condyle and one or more other sites. Data collection included demographics, osteotomy correction, graft site(s) and area, and clinical evaluation. Failure was defined as conversion to arthroplasty. Results Two of 17 patients (12%) failed at a mean of 9.3 years. The remaining 15 patients (88%) had intact allografts with mean survival of 8.1 years (SD 3.3). Five patients (29%) had an additional procedure, all undergoing osteotomy hardware removal. Of those with surviving allografts, mean pain and function scores improved significantly from the preoperative to postoperative assessment and International Knee Documentation Committee total scores improved significantly from 40.9 ± 15.4 preoperative to 75.5 ± 24.0 at latest follow-up ( P = 0.003); 92% of patients were satisfied with the results of the surgery. No postoperative complications occurred. Conclusion Combining high tibial osteotomy and OCA in properly selected patients is safe and effective.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 1613-1620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís E.P. Tírico ◽  
Julie C. McCauley ◽  
Pamela A. Pulido ◽  
William D. Bugbee

Background: Previous studies showed clinical benefit and durable results of osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation for the treatment of femoral condyle lesions. However, the majority of these studies are difficult to interpret owing to the mixed results of different techniques and anatomic locations. Purpose: To evaluate the outcome of OCA transplantation with thin plug grafts for treatment of isolated femoral condyle osteochondral lesions. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: This study included 187 patients (200 knees) who underwent OCA transplantation for isolated osteochondral lesions on the femoral condyle between 1999 and 2014. For all cases, a thin plug technique was used with commercially available surgical instruments and the minimum amount of bone necessary for fixation. Evaluation included International Knee Documentation Committee score, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, and patient satisfaction. Frequency and type of further surgery were assessed. Failure of the allograft was defined as further surgery involving removal of the allograft. Results: Mean follow-up was 6.7 years (range, 1.9-16.5 years). The mean age of patients at the time of surgery was 31 years, and 63% were male. The medial femoral condyle was affected in 69% of knees. A single thin plug graft was used in 145 knees (72.5%), and 2 grafts were used in 55 knees (27.5%). Mean allograft area was 6.3 cm2, and graft thickness was 6.5 mm (cartilage and bone combined). Further surgery was required for 52 knees (26%), of which 16 (8% of entire cohort) were defined as allograft failures (4 OCA revisions, 1 arthrosurface, 6 unicompartmental knee arthroplasties, and 5 total knee arthroplasties). Median time to failure was 4.9 years. Survivorship of the allograft was 95.6% at 5 years and 91.2% at 10 years. Among patients with grafts remaining in situ at latest follow-up, clinically meaningful improvement in pain, function, and quality of life was reported. Satisfaction was reported by 89% of patients. Conclusion: OCA transplantation with a thin plug graft technique is a valuable procedure for the treatment of femoral condyle osteochondral lesions, resulting in significant improvement in clinical scores, high patient satisfaction, and low reoperation and clinical failure rates.


Cartilage ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Early ◽  
Luís E. P. Tírico ◽  
Pamela A. Pulido ◽  
Julie C. McCauley ◽  
William D. Bugbee

Objective No studies currently exist with long-term follow-up of use of osteochondral allografting (OCA) for treatment of steroid-associated osteonecrosis of femoral condyles in young, active patients who wish to avoid total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We evaluate the extent to which fresh osteochondral allografts can (1) prevent or postpone need for prosthetic arthroplasty and (2) maintain long-term clinically meaningful decrease in pain and improvement in function at mean 11-year follow-up. Design Twenty-five patients (33 knees) who underwent OCA transplantation for osteonecrosis of the knee between 1984 and 2013 were evaluated, including 22 females and 11 males with average age of 25 years (range, 16-48 years). Mean total allograft surface area was 10.6 cm2 (range, 4.0-19.0 cm2). Evaluation included International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores, Knee Society function (KS-F) score, and modified (for the knee) Merle d’Aubigné-Postel (18-point) score. Results OCA survivorship was 90% at 5 years and 82% at 10 years. Twenty-eight of 33 knees (85%) avoided arthroplasty and 25 of 33 knees (73%) avoided other surgical intervention. Mean IKDC pain score improved ( P = 0.001) from 7.2 preoperatively to 2.8 at latest follow-up, mean IKDC function score increased ( P = 0.005) from 3.3 to 6.5, and mean IKDC total score improved ( P = 0.001) from 31.9 to 61.1. Mean KS-F score improved ( P = 0.003) from 61.7 to 87.5. Mean modified Merle d’Aubigné-Postel (18-point) score improved ( P < 0.001) from 11.4 to 15.1. Conclusions Our findings suggest that OCA transplantation is a reasonable surgical treatment option for steroid-associated osteonecrosis of the femoral condyles, with durable long-term outcomes.


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