High-Density Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (HD-ACI) in Patients with Bilateral Knee Chondral Defects

ABSTRACT Introduction Bilateral knee chondral defects can be treated in one or two surgical acts. Objectives To study clinical outcome of patients with bilateral knee chondral defects treated with High-Density Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (HD-ACI) during the same surgery. Methods Study on eight patients (4 women and 4 men) with chondral defects in both knees treated with HD-ACI during the same surgical act. Patients were evaluated 2, 6, 12 and 24 months post-op for treatment safety and efficacy: visual analogic scale (VAS) for pain, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) for subjective patient's perception of both knees and EuroQol five-dimensional five-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5 L) for quality of life. Integrity of neoformed tissue at 12 and 24-month follow-up was assessed by the magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score. Results VAS decreased from baseline to 24 months from a median of 8 (6 – 9) to a median of 0 (0 – 5) (P Conclusions Treatment of both knees with HD-ACI during the same surgical act in patients with bilateral chondral lesions is a safe procedure, providing good clinical results.