Fresh Osteochondral Allograft

Observation of focal chondral pathology in the knee is common during knee arthroscopy.¹ A wide spectrum of chondral disease exists, ranging from superficial articular cartilage injuries to large full-thickness osteochondral lesions. Defects may progress to osteoarthritis based on several patient-, limb-, knee-, and defect-specific factors.² The ideal candidate for cartilage restoration surgery is the symptomatic, young or middle-aged motivated individual with either normal or correctable comorbidities (meniscoligamentous status and alignment). However, patients who meet these criteria comprise only 5% of those with articular cartilage injury in the knee.³ The challenge in identification of symptomatic chondral pathology warrants caution in proceeding with surgical techniques used to treat them. Thus, “treat the patient and not the MRI” (magnetic resonance imaging).