One of the reasons that cartilage injuries can be challenging to treat is that they can sometimes involve the underlying bone. Suppose the underlying bone is involved in the wound. In that case, any treatment to address the injury and preserve the cartilage within the joint should also address the underlying bone injury to optimize healing and restoration of function. Depending on the size of the area of cartilage injured, there are two popular treatment options available to patients.
OSTEOCHONDRAL ALLOGRAFT TRANSPLANTATION
This procedure addresses large cartilage defects or injuries that involve the cartilage and the underlying bone. It uses cadaver bone and cartilage and transplants them into the patient’s knee to replace the injured area. This is meant for cartilage defects that cannot be repaired using a patient’s tissue
OSTEOCHONDRAL AUTOGRAFT TRANSPLANTATION (OATS)
This is very similar to using osteochondral allograft from a cadaver. However, it involves using a patient’s cartilage or bone to repair the affected area.
In this procedure, a bone and cartilage plug is taken from an area of the knee where it is not needed, transferred to the damaged, symptomatic area.
Healing of this procedure is typically faster than with allograft because it utilizes a person’s own tissue
