Treatment of osteochondral lesions in the ankle with a particulated juvenile cartilage allograft: Four-year outcomes

Abstract

AIM: reports mid-term clinical outcomes after treating osteochondral lesions of the talus with a particulated juvenile cartilage allograft or cartilage-allograft.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: multicenter prospective case series. Lesions were treated with cartilage-allograft. Primary outcomes were pain, function, and activity levels. Clinical outcomes for 24 prospective subjects over 4-years are presented. The overall clinical outcomes were analyzed using repeated measures models

RESULTS: There was significant pre to postoperative improvement in the overall pain, Short-form 12 Health survey physical, Foot and Ankle Ability Measure activities of daily living, and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure sport (n=22) scores at 12, 24, 36, and 48-months (P<.05). There were no significant pre to postoperative changes in the overall Short-form mental health scores (P>.05).  Lesions less than 150mm² predominantly achieved significant pre to postoperative improvement in scores over 48-months. Except for the sport scores at select visits, there were no differences in outcomes among postoperative visits(P>.05). When the variables of lesion sizes, operative technique, and prior ankle operation were compared, repeated measures did not reveal any differences between these variables in effect on outcomes.

CONCLUSION: Four-year outcomes suggest that treatment with a cartilage-allograft led to improved function and pain levels without symptom worsening, and it is an effective operative intervention for symptomatic lesions irrespective of lesion size.