Abstract
Introduction The study was focused on the evaluation of results of the full-thickness hyaline cartilage defects treated by autologous chondrocytes implantation (ACI). Material and Methods 56 patients was treated from July 2003 to February 2007, out of which there were 31 male and 25 female patients, mean age 31.35 years , including 13 children, 8 boys and 5 girls with the mean age 15.4 years.
Follow-up period of 42 patients was 6 to 40 months, mean age 18.9 months. The surgical indications for the ACI were recent traumas of cartilage or its severe chronic sequelae - chondropathy, focal defects, osteoarthritis.
Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations were performed before and at intervals of 2 weeks, 2, 6 and 12 months, 2 and 3 years after the surgery. The culturing period was ranging from 28 to 42 days.
The transplantation followed and the chondrograft was implanted and fixed by the fibrin glue to the defect bottom. Results The significant clinical function improvement was achieved after the first 6 months, as well as after the following 6 months postoperatively (in both periods p > 0.1).
Conclusion In comparison with the initial state the significant postoperative clinical function improvement was achieved in most of the cases. MRI evaluation shows satisfactory or excellent integration of the chondrograft into the original defect zone in all cases.
Result achieved by the ACI is a very promissing option for the treatment, particulary in cases, which could be hardly treated by another surgical techniques. MRI confirmation of the surgery and its success is unavoidable when clinical improvement or ethic reasons does not allow to perform a second-look arthroscopy, eventually a control histopathological examination.