Comparison of Arthroscopic Treatment Methods in Talar Osteochondral Lesions: A Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized Clinical Trial

Background The aim of the present study was to contribute new and updated information to the literature by comparing the clinical and radiologic results of arthroscopic microfracture, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) after arthroscopic microfracture, and BST-Cargel scaffold application after arthroscopic microfracture in the treatment of talar osteochondral lesions. Methods Sixty-two talar osteochondral lesion patients (31 women and 31 men) who underwent ankle arthroscopy in two different centers were randomized into three groups. The first group consisted of patients who underwent only arthroscopic microfracture (MF) (n = 22); the second group consisted of patients who underwent the PRP procedure after arthroscopic MF (PRP; n = 19); and the third group consisted of patients who underwent the BST-Cargel procedure after arthroscopic MF was (BST-Cargel; n = 21). The talar osteochondral lesions in the three groups were classified according to magnetic resonance and arthroscopic images. American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, Foot and Ankle Ability Measurement (overall pain, 15-minute walking, running function), and visual analog scale scores were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively, and postoperative return time to sports activities was performed. Results Compared to the preoperative score, postoperative American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society score increased 48.80 ± 9.60 in the BST-Cargel group, whereas there was an increase of 46.68 ± 3.65 in the PRP group and 29.63 ± 3.69 in the MF group, which were statistically significant (P < .05).There was a statistically significant postoperative change in the visual analog scale scores of the patients in all three groups compared to the preoperative scores (P < .05). At the end of the follow-up, the Foot and Ankle Ability Measurement overall pain, 15-minute walking, and running function results of all three groups increased significantly postoperatively compared to the preoperative values (P < .005). Conclusions BST-Cargel application with microfracture is a method that can be applied easily and safely with arthroscopy to lesions larger than 1.5 cm2 regardless of the size of the cartilage defect, and it has been found to be superior to the other two methods in terms of pain, functional score, radiologic recovery, and return to sports activities.

Arthroscopic Microfracture Alone or Combined Application of Acellular Scaffold: Which One is More Effective in the Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus

Background: In this study, it was aimed to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of the single-step arthroscopic microfracture (AMFx) repair procedure and the combined application of AMFx and cell-free scaffold (CFS) in the treatment of talar osteochondral lesions (TOLs).Methods: This retrospective study included patients presenting with a TOL larger than 1.5 cm2 and smaller than 3 cm2 between March 2015 and June 2018 who received arthroscopic treatment and attended follow-up for a period of at least 24 months. Eighteen patients (group 1) had been treated with the AMFx method and 16 patients (group 2) with AMFx + CFS application. American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Tegner Activity Scores. magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score was used to assess cartilage repair tissue.Results: The mean patient age was 33.47±8.67 and the mean follow-up time was 32.24±9.33 months. In terms of the two groups, there was no significant difference in terms of age (p=0.984), body mass index (p=0.450), defect size (p = 0.081) and follow-up time (p = 0.484). The median AOFAS score increased in the AMFx group (p<0.001) and in the AMFx+CFS group (p<0.001), from preoperative assessment until follow-up assessment at 12 months. The treatment groups were not superior to each other in terms of clinical scores (p>0.05). The two groups were also similar with respect to the components of the MOCART score.Conclusion: Comparisons revealed that outcomes at the end of 24-month follow-up were similar. Therefore, TOLs appear to benefit similarly from the AMFx and AMFx + CFS techniques.

Arthroscopic microfracture with atelocollagen augmentation for osteochondral lesion of the talus: a multicenter randomized controlled trial

Background We aimed to evaluate whether arthroscopic microfracture with atelocollagen augmentation could improve the clinical outcomes and quality of regenerated cartilage in patients with osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT). We hypothesized that the clinical outcomes and quality of the regenerated cartilage would be superior in patients undergoing arthroscopic microfracture with atelocollagen augmentation compared to those undergoing arthroscopic microfracture alone. Methods In this multicenter, randomized controlled trial, 60 patients were randomly allocated to two groups: arthroscopic microfracture with atelocollagen augmentation (group 1, n = 31) and arthroscopic microfracture alone (group 2, n = 29). Mean 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS), Hannover scoring system (HSS), and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores were assessed 2 years postoperatively and compared between the groups. The quality of the regenerated cartilage was assessed according to the Magnetic Resonance Observation of CArtilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) score based on magnetic resonance imaging. Results Forty-six patients (22 in group 1, 23 in group 2) completed the 2-year follow-up. The quality of the regenerated cartilage assessed based on the MOCART score was significantly superior in group 1 compared to group 2 (64.49 ± 18.27 vs 53.01 ± 12.14, p = 0.018). Clinical outcomes in terms of 100-mm VAS (17.25 ± 20.31 vs 19.37 ± 18.58, p = 0.72), HSS (93.09 ± 13.64 vs 86.09 ± 13.36, p = 0.14), and AOFAS (91.23 ± 8.62 vs 86.91 ± 10.68, p = 0.09) scores were superior in group 1 compared to group 2, but the differences were not statistically significant. Both groups showed significant improvements in clinical outcomes compared with the preoperative values. Conclusion The quality of the regenerated cartilage was superior after arthroscopic microfracture with atelocollagen augmentation compared to that after microfracture alone in patients with OLT. Clinical outcomes assessed 2 years postoperatively were superior in patients who underwent arthroscopic microfracture with atelocollagen augmentation compared to those who underwent arthroscopic microfracture alone, although the differences were not statistically significant. A long-term study of the cohort is required to confirm these findings. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02519881), August 11, 2015.

Arthroscopic Microfracture for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus in Old Age Patient

Category: Ankle; Arthroscopy Introduction/Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the outcomes of arthroscopic microfracture for osteochondral lesions of the talus, in patients of older than 60 years old. Methods: Sixteen patients (16 ankles) with osteochondral lesions of the talus were treated by arthroscopic microfracture from October 2012 to June 2019. As two patients were lost to follow-up, Fourteen patients (14 ankles) participated in the study. There were 6 men (42.9%) and 8 women (57.1%) of average age 67.4years (range 60-77) at the time of surgery. Clinical outcome evaluations were performed using Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and patient’s satisfaction after surgery at a mean follow-up of 50.8 months. Results: Mean FAOS scores improved from SYMPTOM 68.2 points (range 39-86), PAIN 65.1 points (range 36-94), ADL 69.4 points (range 32-99), SPORTS 45.4 points (range 25-80), QOL 47.1 points (range 13-94) preoperatively to SYMPTOM 94.8 points (range 68-100), PAIN 91.1 points (range 48-100), ADL 93.3 points (range 59-100), SPORTS 71.8 points (range 30-100), QOL 79.8 points (range 25-100) at final follow up. Very satisfaction in 4 (29%), Satisfaction in 7 (50%), Fair in 2 (14%), Dissatisfaction in 1 (7%), and reason for dissatisfaction was persistent pain after surgery. Conclusion: Arthroscopic microfracture for osteochondral lesions of the talus is a safe and effective procedure for old age patient.

Return to Play after Arthroscopic Microfracture for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus in Young Elite Athletes

Category: Ankle; Arthroscopy Introduction/Purpose: The current scientific evidence for the clinical and sports-related outcomes of the surgical treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs) with arthroscopic microfracture (MF) in elite athletes is scarce. The purpose of curretn study is to evaluate the clinical outcomes and return to sports activity after arthroscopic MF for OLTs in elite athletes. Methods: The files of 41 elite athletes (mean age 19.34 +- 3.76 years) who had undergone arthroscopic MF for OLTs at our institution between January 2011 and September 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot and visual analog pain (VAS) score, time and rate of ‘return-to-competition’ (RTC, defined as return to an official match for at least one minute after treatment), and rate of ‘return- to-play’ (RTP, defined as participation in at least two entire seasons after treatment) were used to evaluate the outcomes. We compared athletes who were able to RTP (RTP-group) with those who were not (No-RTP group). Results: The mean follow-up was 54.9 +- 13.72 months. All five subscales of preoperative FAOS were significantly improved at the final follow-up. The mean preoperative AOFAS hindfoot score of 74.46 +- 8.10 improved to 91.62 +- 2.99 (P < 0.001) at the final follow-up. The mean preoperative VAS score of 5.44 +- 1.57 improved to 2.66 +- 1.04 (P < 0.001). All patients achieved RTC (100%) at mean time of 5.45 +- 3.18 months, and 74.4% of patients were able to RTP. The RTP-group showed significantly smaller lesions compared to the No-RTP group (71.52 +- 43.29 vs. 107.00 +- 45.28 mm2, P = 0.009). The cut-off OLT size for predicting RTP was 84.0 mm2, with a sensitivity of 90.0% and specificity of 75.9%. Conclusion: All athletes were able to RTC at average of 5.45 months after MF for OLTs, and 74.4% were able to RTP. The only prognostic variable for RTP was lesion size, and its predictive cut-off was 84 mm2.