Treatment of Chondral Defects in the Shoulder

No formal guidelines have yet been established for the treatment of glenohumeral cartilage defects. Especially in younger and more active patients, where arthroplasty is a less desirable option, treatment decisions continue to represent a challenge. More recently, a number of cartilage repair techniques that have been successfully applied in the knee joint have been used for the treatment of symptomatic chondral defects in the shoulder. This article will provide a concise overview of these techniques and their background, as well as provide the treating physician with a framework for the workup and treatment of such lesions.