Cartilage Injury
A 32-year-old recreational soccer player presents with chronic knee pain localized to the medial femoral condyle. MRI reveals a 2.5 cm² full-thickness chondral defect with exposed subchondral bone. He has no ligamentous instability and acceptable alignment. The surgeon discusses cartilage restoration options including microfracture, osteochondral autograft transfer, and autologous chondrocyte implantation. Regarding articular cartilage injuries and treatment:
Mark each as TRUE or FALSE
Articular cartilage is avascular, aneural, and alymphatic with limited intrinsic healing capacity; c...
Microfracture creates subchondral perforations (3-4mm apart, 2-4mm deep) to allow marrow elements an...
Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is first-line treatment for all chondral defects regardles...
Osteochondral autograft transfer (OATS/mosaicplasty) harvests cylindrical plugs from non-weight-bear...
Treatment algorithm: small defects (less than 2 cm²) = microfracture; medium defects (2-4 cm²) = OAT...
Answer the questions to see explanations
Click T (True) or F (False) for each option