Abstract

CHICO CAPOTE, Araceli; HERNAN ESTEVEZ DEL TORO, Miguel; MARIN GIL, José Miguel  and  CALDERON, José. Autologous osteochondral transplantation: An option for the early treatment of the knee cartilage defects in the cases of mild arthrosis. Rev cubana med [online]. 2004, vol.43, n.5-6, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-302X.

An injury of traumatic origin in the cartilaginous surface of the knee may precipitate the further development of arthrosis. A preliminary, prospective, open and controlled study was designed. It included 7 patients with degree I or II radiological affectation according to Kellgren and Lawrence classification that presented a single chondral defect in the supporting area of the femoral condyle filled up by arthroscopic view with an own cartilage taken from the nonsupporting zone with an instrumental constructed in the hospital to determine the efficiency of the osteochondral autologous transplantation in patients with chondral defects of the knee joint. The clinical results were evaluated by statistical analysis that included the Chi square statistician. Six patients were females and one was male with an average age of 44,1 years old. They were evaluated at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months of the procedure and it was observed that all the studied clinical variables improved in a statistically significant way, mainly the pain intensity and the time to walk 100 m (p = 0,001)m, with a good acceptance of the procedure in more than 75 % of the patients. It was concluded that the procedure was efficient and no complications were observed after a one-year follow-up.

Keywords : Arthrosis; knee; arthroscopy; autologous osteochondral transplantation.