Favorable short-term outcomes of micronized allogenic cartilage scaffold for glenoid cartilage defects associated with posterior glenohumeral instability.

Purpose: To determine clinical outcomes associated with micronized allogenic cartilage scaffold use for treatment of posterior glenoid cartilage defects at 2 years.

Study Design: Case series.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was performed on a consecutive series of patients who underwent arthroscopic treatment of a symptomatic posterior glenoid cartilage defect with micronized allogenic cartilage scaffold between January 2019 and December 2020. The primary outcome was subjective shoulder value (SSV) at latest follow-up. Secondary outcomes included visual analog scale (VAS), recurrence of instability, and range of motion (ROM).

Results: Seven patients, including 4 in the setting of primary posterior instability and 3 in the setting of recurrent symptoms after arthroscopic posterior glenohumeral stabilization, were included in the analysis with a mean follow up of 2.6 years (range, 2-3.7 years). Statistically significant improvements were seen in SSV (median = 40, interquartile range [IQR] = 40-50 before surgery; vs median = 85, IQR = 67.5-87.5 after surgery;  = .018) and VAS (median = 4, IQR = 4-6.3 before surgery; vs median = 1, IQR = 0-1.5 after surgery;  = .010). No significant differences were seen in ROM. There were no cases of recurrent instability or reoperation.

Conclusions: The use of micronized allogenic cartilage scaffold for glenoid cartilage defects is associated with clinical improvement at 2-year follow-up. This is the case when performed in conjunction with index posterior labral repair when there is a concomitant glenoid cartilage defect or when performed in the setting of persistent pain and mechanical symptoms after prior posterior labral repair.

Level Of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic case series.