Surgical Management of Chondral and Osteochondral Lesions of the Knee in Young Patients

Chondral and osteochondral defects of the knee in the young, active patient pose a challenging treatment problem. A spectrum of surgical modalities is available to address this increasingly common condition and each has its own indications and limitations. With the progress made in surgical techniques and available technology, this area of orthopedic surgery has evolved significantly in the last two decades. This article reviews debridement and microfracture, fixation, autologous chondrocyte implantation, osteochondral autograft transplantation, fresh cadaveric allografts, and osteotomies.