A 5-year follow-up after cartilage repair in the knee using a platelet-rich plasma-immersed polymer-based implant.

The aim of our study was to analyze the clinical outcome after repair of cartilage defects of the knee with subchondral drilling and resorbable polymer-based implants immersed with autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Fifty-two patients with focal chondral defects were treated with subchondral drilling, followed by covering with a polyglycolic acid - hyaluronan (PGA-HA) implant (chondrotissue®) immersed with autologous PRP. At 5-year follow-up, patients' situation was assessed using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and compared to the pre-operative situation.

Cartilage repair in the knee with subchondral drilling augmented with a platelet-rich plasma-immersed polymer-based implant.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to analyse the clinical and histological outcome after the treatment of focal cartilage defects in non-degenerative and degenerative knees with bone marrow stimulation and subsequent covering with a cell-free resorbable polyglycolic acid-hyaluronan (PGA-HA) implant immersed with autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

Methods: Fifty-two patients (mean age 44 years) with focal chondral defects in radiologically confirmed non-degenerative or degenerative knees were subjected to subchondral drilling arthroscopically. Subsequently, defects were covered with the PGA-HA implant immersed with autologous PRP.

A cell-free scaffold-based cartilage repair provides improved function hyaline-like repair at one year.

Background: Bone marrow stimulation techniques in cartilage repair such as drilling are limited by the formation of fibrous to hyaline-like repair tissue. It has been suggested such techniques can be enhanced by covering the defect with scaffolds. We present an innovative approach using a polyglycolic acid (PGA)-hyaluronan scaffold with platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) in drilling.