Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation: Surgical Technique and Outcomes

Chondral defects of the knee are frequently encountered during arthroscopy. For symptomatic lesions several surgical options exist. Determining the best surgical option for a patient can be challenging for the treating surgeon. Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is an articular cartilage restoring procedure that is commonly used to treat medium to large full-thickness cartilage lesions of the knee. It is a two-stage procedure requiring cartilage biopsy, 4-6 weeks of in-vitro chondrocyte expansion, followed by re-implantation.

Source: Operative Techniques in Orthopaedics - August 5, 2014 Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Brian J. Chilelli, Marissa R. Mastrocola, Andreas H. Gomoll Source Type: research