BioCartilage augmentation of marrow stimulation procedures for cartilage defects of the knee: Two-year clinical outcomes

Abstract Background The present study evaluated short-term outcomes of microfracture augmented with micronized allograft cartilage matrix (BioCartilage) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for symptomatic focal femoral condyle or trochlea cartilage defects. Methods Patients who underwent microfracture augmented with BioCartilage and PRP for isolated contained chondral defects were evaluated. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at one year postoperatively. Two-year postoperative outcomes included patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and rates of return-to-work and return-to-sport. Results Mean age of the 10 patients who completed the study was 39.7 years (range, 19–66 years), and five (50%) were female. Mean post-debridement defect size of the five femoral condyle and five trochlea defects was 2.4 cm2 (range, 0.7–5.0 cm2). One-year postoperative MRI analysis demonstrated that two chondral lesions were  50% filled, two sites were completely filled, and two sites had hypertrophied. Patients experienced improvements in three PROMs at six months, one year, and two years postoperatively (p  Conclusions Our findings suggest that small, contained focal chondral injuries in the femoral condyle and trochlea treated with a marrow stimulation procedure augmented with BioCartilage and PRP are associated with significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes at two years postoperatively. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term durability and imaging characteristics of this intervention. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level IV.