Advances in Cartilage Repair

Orthop Clin North Am. 2023 Apr;54(2):227-236. doi: 10.1016/j.ocl.2022.11.007. Epub 2023 Jan 31.

Abstract

Osteochondral lesions of the ankle joint are typically associated with a traumatic etiology and present with ankle pain and swelling. Conservative management yields unsatisfactory results because of the poor healing capacity of the articular cartilage. Smaller lesions (<100 mm2 or <10 mm) can be treated with less invasive procedures such as arthroscopic debridement, anterograde drilling, scaffold-based therapies, and augmentation with biological adjuvants. For patients with large lesions (>100 mm2 or >10 mm), cystic lesions, uncontained lesions, or patients who have failed prior bone marrow stimulation, management with autologous osteochondral transplantation is indicated.

Keywords: Ankle osteochondral lesion; Autologous osteochondral transplantation; Biologics; Microfracture.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Ankle Joint / surgery
  • Arthroscopy / methods
  • Cartilage, Articular* / surgery
  • Humans
  • Intra-Articular Fractures*
  • Talus* / pathology
  • Talus* / surgery
  • Transplantation, Autologous