|
PURPOSE:The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term clinical and radiological outcomes of third-generation ACI for the treatment of focal cartilage defects of the knee. METHODS:The data capture was carried out between 2004 and 2018. Included were patients with cartilage defects of the knee joint ICRS Grade >III which were treated with third generation ACI with a minimum follow-up of 10 years. IKDC scores and pain assessment at rest and on movement using the VAS score were captured preoperatively, 0.5 years and annually. In addition, we performed MRI examinations in 13 cases after ten years. MOCART Score was used to evaluate the ACI cartilage. RESULTS:A total of 54 patients met the inclusion criteria. 30 patients reached the 10-year follow-up and were included in this assessment. Ten years postoperatively, all clinical outcome parameters showed a statistically significant improvement compared to the preoperative situation with a responder rate of 70%. The average MOCART score after ten years was 59.2 points (20-100) and over 60% of the evaluated patients showed good integration of the implant ten years postoperative. CONCLUSION:The clinical and radiological findings of this study demonstrates that third-generation ACI is a suitable and effective option in the therapy of full-thickness cartilage defects of the knee. Ten years after surgery the third-generation autologous chondrocyte implantation shows stable results and leads to significant improvement for all clinical outcome parameters. Despite of these results, revision surgery after third-generation ACI is common and was needed 23%. Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.
|
