Cartilage repair techniques of the talus: An update

[Therapy of degenerative changes in the ankle joint with US-guided linear hyaluronic acid injections. A review]

The article discusses the issue and our own experience of local therapy for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint with injections of linear hyaluronic acid under ultrasound navigation. Since the ankle joint is difficult in terms of surgical treatment in general and endoprosthetics in particular, a course of intra-articular injection of 1% Flexotron® Forte hyaluronate, especially in the early stages of dystrophic changes in cartilage, is a promising method for relieving pain, chondroprotection and preserving the biomechanics of the joint, and ultrasound navigation when performing manipulation, it ensures the most accurate introduction of the drug into the joint cavity.

Exposure of Tissue-Engineered Cartilage Analogs to Synovial Fluid Hematoma After Ankle Fracture Is Associated With Chondrocyte Death and Altered Cartilage Maintenance Gene Expression

BACKGROUND

The first stage of fracture healing consists of hematoma formation with recruitment of proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases. Unfortunately, when there is an intra-articular fracture, these inflammatory mediators are not retained at the fracture site, but instead, envelop the healthy cartilage of the entire joint via the synovial fluid fracture hematoma (SFFH). These inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases are known factors in the progression of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Despite the known inflammatory contents of the SFFH, little research has been done on the effects of the SFFH on healthy cartilage with regard to cell death and alteration in gene expression that could lead to posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA).

METHODS

SFFH was collected from 12 patients with intraarticular ankle fracture at the time of surgery. Separately, C20A4 immortalized human chondrocytes were 3-dimensionally cultured to create scaffold-free cartilage tissue analogs (CTAs) to simulate healthy cartilage. Experimental CTAs (n = 12) were exposed to 100% SFFH for 3 days, washed, and transferred to complete media for 3 days. Control CTAs (n = 12) were simultaneously cultured in complete medium without exposure to SFFH. Subsequently, CTAs were harvested and underwent biochemical, histological, and gene expression analysis.

RESULTS

Exposure of CTAs to ankle SFFH for 3 days significantly decreased chondrocyte viability by 34% (P = .027). Gene expression of both COL2A1 and SOX9 were significantly decreased after exposure to SFFH (P = .012 and P = .0013 respectively), while there was no difference in COL1A1, RUNX2, and MMP13 gene expression. Quantitative analysis of Picrosirius red staining demonstrated increased collagen I deposition with poor ultrastructural organization in SFFH-exposed CTAs.

CONCLUSION

Exposure of an organoid model of healthy cartilage tissue to SFFH after intraarticular ankle fracture resulted in decreased chondrocyte viability, decreased expression of genes regulating normal chondrocyte phenotype, and altered matrix ultrastructure indicating differentiation toward an osteoarthritis phenotype.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The majority of ankle fracture open reduction and internal fixation does not occur immediately after fracture. In fact, typically these fractures are treated several days to weeks later in order to let the swelling subside. This means that the healthy innocent bystander cartilage not involved in the fracture is exposed to SFFH during this time. In this study, the SFFH caused decreased chondrocyte viability and specific altered gene expression that might have the potential to induce osteoarthritis. These data suggest that early intervention after intraarticular ankle fracture could possibly mitigate progression toward PTOA.

Talar Dome Osteochondral Lesions: Pre- and Postoperative Imaging

We suggest a similar approach to evaluating osteochondral lesions of the talar dome both pre- and postoperatively. This review addresses the etiology, natural history, and treatment of talar dome osteochondral lesions with an emphasis on imaging appearances. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, ideally combining a small field-of-view surface coil with ankle traction, optimizes visibility of most of the clinically relevant features both pre- and postoperatively.

Operative treatments for osteochondral lesions of the talus in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

This systematic review aimed to identify the available evidence regarding the comparative effectiveness and safety of various operative treatments in adult patients with osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register of Controlled Trials were searched from their inception date to September 2019. Two reviewers selected the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs assessing the comparative effectiveness and safety of various operative treatments for OLT. The meta-analysis was performed using Revman 5.3.

RESULTS

Eight studies (1 RCT and 7 non-RCTs) with 375 patients were included in this review. The difference in the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score between the cartilage repair and replacement was not significant. The cartilage regeneration with or without cartilage repair had significant superiority in improving the AOFAS score compared with the cartilage repair. The difference in the magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue score between the cartilage repair and replacement and between cartilage repair and cartilage repair plus regeneration was significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Cartilage regeneration and cartilage repair plus regeneration had significant superiority in improving the ankle function and radiological evaluation of OLT, although the trials included did not have high-level evidence. Moreover, which treatment between the 2 was safer could not be addressed in this review as most of the trials did not report the safety outcome. Further studies are needed to define the best surgical option for treating OLT.

All-Arthroscopic Osteochondral Autograft Transfer Technique for Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Talus

Juvenile osteochondritis dissecans of the talus can be a challenging condition to treat in young patients. Previously described osteochondral autograft transfer techniques for medial talar lesions have been done via open approach, often requiring medial malleolus osteotomy. The purpose of this article is to present an all-arthroscopic osteochondral autograft transfer technique for a medial talar osteochondritis dissecans lesion in a skeletally immature patient.

Analysis of congruence for talar dome geometry among tali of different sizes

Traumatic injury and idiopathic avascular necrosis of the talus bone can result in osteochondral lesions of the talus leading to pain, motion loss, and disability. Treatment with osteochondral allografting currently requires the donor talus to be size matched to the recipient talus to ensure precise fits. Eliminating or reducing the need for size matching would lessen costs and the delay between diagnosis and treatment. 3D models of 12 tali of varying sizes were used to analyze curvatures and profiles of select areas on the talar dome. The allograft procedure was mimicked to compare the results between using 20mm and 30mm osteochondral allografts with, and without, donor size matching. The observed curvatures and profiles on the talar dome were found to be consistent between tali of different sizes. Size matching was not required to have acceptable levels of deviation between donor and recipient tali when using 20mm length segments. Deviations without size matching were found to be very similar to the deviations with size matching with only 14.8% of the fits without size matching having larger deviations (although less than 1.5mm) than those with size matching. Using the 30mm segments, there was a significant difference between the small female tali and the largest male tali. Thus, donor size matching is not necessary when treating large osteochondral lesions of the talus with an osteochondral allograft taken from the central 20mm of the donor talar dome, and only sex matching may be necessary for 30mm grafts.

[Research progress in surgical procedures for osteochondral lesions of talus]

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the research progress of surgical procedures in osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT).

METHODS

By consulting the related literature of OLT in recent years, the advantages and disadvantages of various surgical treatment schemes were analyzed and summarized.

RESULTS

There are many surgical treatments for OLT, including bone marrow stimulation, osteochondral transplantation, autologous chondrocyte transplantation, and biologically assisted therapy. Various schemes have different indications and limitations. With the continuous development of various technologies, the effectiveness of OLT treatment will gradually improve.

CONCLUSION

There are still many difficulties and controversies in the treatment of OLT, and there is no unified treatment plan. It is suggested that individualized operation plan should be formulated according to the specific conditions of patients.

Large Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus Treated With Autologous Bone Graft and Periosteum Transfer

Background:

The treatment of large osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs) is challenging due to the poor intrinsic reparative capability of the damaged articular cartilage. Autologous transfer of bone and periosteum has been used successfully in the treatment of large defects in animals, and therefore it was believed that this technique might show similar results in humans. The purpose of this study was to assess the outcome of an innovative technique for autologous transplantation of cancellous tibial graft with periosteal transfer in large OLTs.

Methods:

Forty-one patients (22 females, 19 males), with a mean age of 34.9 years (range, 18-72 years), with a large OLT (>200 mm²) were treated with autologous bone graft and periosteum transfer. OLTs averaging 310 mm² were identified on a preoperative computed tomography scan. The procedure consisted of malleolar osteotomy, curettage of sclerotic bone, autologous bone graft from the proximal tibia, and transfixion of periosteum over the graft. Outcome measures, including the pain visual analog scale (VAS), ankle range of motion (ROM), American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, and Foot & Ankle Disability Index (FADI), were compared between preoperative and 1 and 2 years following surgery.

Results:

There were significant improvements in VAS pain score from 7.7 before surgery to 1.1 at 1 year after surgery and 0.4 at 2 years or more after surgery. The AOFAS and FADI scores were also significantly improved from 40.3 and 53.3 preoperatively to 95 and 93.2 postoperatively at 1 year and 95 and 93.2 at 2 or more years postoperatively, respectively. Postoperative complications included 2 patients who required removal of medial malleolar osteotomy tension bands due to symptomatic hardware. There were no nonunions or malunions of the osteotomies and no donor site complications.

Conclusion:

Autologous bone graft and periosteum transfer was an effective treatment for large OLTs leading to significant decreases in pain and improvement in functional scores at more than 2 years after surgery.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.

[Ankle cartilage repair : Therapeutic options, results and technical aspects]

BACKGROUND

Therapeutic strategies for cartilage repair of the talus are varied. With the use of biologic scaffolds and biologic agents new cell-based therapies have become the focus of attention.

OBJECTIVES

Ankle cartilage repair techniques are presented and assessed by current data. In addition, technical notes for each technique are given.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Currently, the following established ankle cartilage repair procedures exist: microfracturing, AMIC (autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis), OCT (osteochondral transplantation, mosaicplasty), allograft transplantation.

DISCUSSION

The success of each repair technique is dependent on the proper indication, addressing of co-morbidities like axis deviation or ligament instabilities, the experience of the surgeon and the appropriate rehabilitation. Mid- and long-term results are often good or excellent. Best results are seen in isolated cartilage defects without co-morbidities in patients younger than 40 years of age and non-smokers with normal BMI and early intervention. New cell-based therapies utilize scaffolds and biologic agents. They offer promising perspectives, although current data is inconsistent.

Particulated Autograft Cartilage Implantation for the Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: A Novel Technique

Osteochondral lesions of the talus often occur following ankle sprains and fractures. Operative intervention is typically required because of the diminished intrinsic repair capability of talar articular cartilage. Several techniques have evolved that emphasize replacing the defect with cartilage that closely mimics the biological properties of hyaline articular cartilage. The goals of operative treatment are resolution of symptoms, physiologic healing, and restoration of function while eliminating the need for further intervention. This article describes a novel, single-step technique for the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus with the use of particulated autograft cartilage implantation.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE

Level V.

Revision and Salvage Management: Proceedings of the International Consensus Meeting on Cartilage Repair of the Ankle

BACKGROUND

The evidence supporting best practice guidelines in the field of cartilage repair of the ankle are based on both low quality and low levels of evidence. Therefore, an international consensus group of experts was convened to collaboratively advance toward consensus opinions based on the best available evidence on key topics within cartilage repair of the ankle. The purpose of this article was to report on the consensus statements on "Revision and Salvage Management" developed at the 2017 International Consensus Meeting on Cartilage Repair of the Ankle.

METHODS

Seventy-five international experts in cartilage repair of the ankle representing 25 countries and 1 territory were convened and participated in a process based on the Delphi method of achieving consensus. Questions and statements were drafted within 11 working groups focusing on specific topics within cartilage repair of the ankle, after which a comprehensive literature review was performed and the available evidence for each statement was graded. Discussion and debate occurred in cases where statements were not agreed on in unanimous fashion within the working groups. A final vote was then held, and the strength of consensus was characterized as follows: consensus, 51% to 74%; strong consensus, 75% to 99%; unanimous, 100%.

RESULTS

A total of 8 statements on revision and salvage management reached consensus during the 2017 International Consensus Meeting on Cartilage Repair of the Ankle. One achieved unanimous support and 7 reached strong consensus (greater than 75% agreement). All statements reached at least 85% agreement.

CONCLUSIONS

This international consensus derived from leaders in the field will assist clinicians with revision and salvage management in the cartilage repair of the ankle.

Conservative Management and Biological Treatment Strategies: Proceedings of the International Consensus Meeting on Cartilage Repair of the Ankle

BACKGROUND

The evidence supporting best practice guidelines in the field of cartilage repair of the ankle are based on both low quality and low levels of evidence. Therefore, an international consensus group of experts was convened to collaboratively advance toward consensus opinions based on the best available evidence on key topics within cartilage repair of the ankle. The purpose of this article is to report the consensus statements on "Conservative Management and Biological Treatment Strategies" developed at the 2017 International Consensus Meeting on Cartilage Repair of the Ankle.

METHODS

Seventy-five international experts in cartilage repair of the ankle representing 25 countries and 1 territory were convened and participated in a process based on the Delphi method of achieving consensus. Questions and statements were drafted within 11 working groups focusing on specific topics within cartilage repair of the ankle, after which a comprehensive literature review was performed and the available evidence for each statement was graded. Discussion and debate occurred in cases where statements were not agreed upon in unanimous fashion within the working groups. A final vote was then held, and the strength of consensus was characterized as follows: consensus, 51% to 74%; strong consensus, 75% to 99%; unanimous, 100%.

RESULTS

A total of 12 statements on Conservative Management and Biological Treatment Strategies reached consensus during the 2017 International Consensus Meeting on Cartilage Repair of the Ankle. Ten statements reached strong consensus (greater than 75% agreement), and 2 achieved consensus.

CONCLUSIONS

This international consensus derived from leaders in the field will assist clinicians with conservative management and biological treatment strategies for osteochondral lesions of the talus.

No superior surgical treatment for secondary osteochondral defects of the talus

PURPOSE

The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the most effective surgical treatment for talar osteochondral defects after failed primary surgery.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted to find studies published from January 1996 till July 2016 using PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, CDSR, DARE and CENTRAL. Two authors screened the search results separately and conducted quality assessment independently using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Weighted success rates were calculated. Studies eligible for pooling were combined.

RESULTS

Twenty-one studies with a total of 299 patients with 301 talar OCDs that failed primary surgery were investigated. Eight studies were retrospective case series, twelve were prospective case series and there was one randomized controlled trial. Calculated success percentages varied widely and ranged from 17 to 100%. Because of the low level of evidence and the scarce number of patients, no methodologically proper meta-analysis could be performed. A simplified pooling method resulted in a calculated mean success rate of 90% [CI 82-95%] for the osteochondral autograft transfer procedure, 65% [CI 46-81%] for mosaicplasty and 55% [CI 40-70%] for the osteochondral allograft transfer procedure. There was no significant difference between classic autologous chondrocyte implantation (success rate of 59% [CI 39-77%]) and matrix-associated chondrocyte implantation (success rate of 73% [CI 56-85%]).

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple surgical treatments are used for talar OCDs after primary surgical failure. More invasive methods are administered in comparison with primary treatment. No methodologically proper meta-analysis could be performed because of the low level of evidence and the limited number of patients. It is therefore inappropriate to draw firm conclusions from the collected results. Besides an expected difference in outcome between the autograft transfer procedure and the more extensive procedures of mosaicplasty and the use of an allograft, neither a clear nor a significant difference between treatment options could be demonstrated. The need for sufficiently powered prospective investigations in a randomized comparative clinical setting remains high. This present systematic review can be used in order to inform patients about expected outcome of the different treatment methods used after failed primary surgery.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Beneficial clinical effects but limited tissue quality following osteochondral repair with a cell-free multilayered nano-composite scaffold in the talus

BACKGROUND

The treatment of larger osteochondral lesions of the talus remains an operative challenge. In addition to micro fracturing and osteochondral transplantation one promising strategy could be the operative repair with a cell-free multilayered nano-composite scaffold with the potential to regenerate bone and cartilage in one treatment.

METHODS

In this prospective case series four consecutive patients who suffered from a single osteochondral lesion (≥1.5cm²) on the medial talus were enrolled. The repair potential of the implant was assessed using MRI based biochemical, compositional MR sequences (T2 mapping) as well as semi-quantitative morphological analyses (MOCART score) at 18 months follow-up after the surgery. The clinical outcome was determined at 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24 months follow-up by using the Ankle Disability Index and the AOFAS score.

RESULTS

At 18 months after the surgery, the clinical outcome was significantly improved compared to the preoperative baseline. Global T2 relaxation times of the repair tissue were significantly increased compared to the healthy control cartilage.

CONCLUSIONS

Osteochondral repair with a cell-free, biomimetic scaffold provides good clinical, short-term results. However, biochemical MR imaging provides strong evidence for limited repair tissue quality at 18 months after the implantation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

The Impact of Weight on Arthroscopic Osteochondral Talar Reconstruction

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to assess the functional and radiologic outcomes after AT-AMIC (arthroscopic talus autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis) in 2 weight groups of patients with osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs): patients with BMI <25 (Healthy Weight Group [HG]) and with BMI ≥25 (Overweight Group [OG]).

METHODS

Thirty-seven patients were evaluated. HG was composed of 21 patients (BMI = 21.90 ± 1.94), whereas OG consisted of 16 patients (BMI = 27.41 ± 1.98). All patients were treated with AT-AMIC repair for OLTs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), Visual Analgoue Scale (VAS) for pain, American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle and Hindfoot score and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) were administered preoperatively (T₀) and at 6 (T₁), 12 (T₂), and 24 (T₃) months postoperatively.

RESULTS

In both groups, we found a significant difference for clinical and radiologic parameters with analysis of variance for repeated measures through 4 time points ( P < .001). In HG, AOFAS increased at every follow-up ( P < .05), whereas in OG, AOFAS improved only between T₂ and T₃ ( P = .0104). In OG we found a significant difference comparing CT and MRI at each follow-up; in HG this difference was found only at T₀ ( P < .0001) and T₁ ( P = .0492). Finally, OG presented a significantly larger lesion measured with MRI at T₀ ( P = .033).

CONCLUSIONS

OLTs in overweight patients were characterized by a larger preoperative size. At final follow-up, both groups showed a significant clinical improvement. AT-AMIC can be considered a safe and reliable procedure, regardless of weight, with a significant improvement also in quality of life.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, comparative study.

Combining Microfractures, Autologous Bone Graft, and Autologous Matrix-Induced Chondrogenesis for the Treatment of Juvenile Osteochondral Talar Lesions

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiologic outcomes of patients younger than 20 years, treated with the arthroscopic-talus autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AT-AMIC) technique and autologous bone graft for osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT).

METHODS

Eleven patients under 20 years (range 13.3-20.0) underwent the AT-AMIC procedure and autologous bone graft for OLTs. Patients were evaluated preoperatively (T₀) and at 6 (T₁), 12 (T₂), and 24 (T₃) months postoperatively, using the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Ankle and Hindfoot (AOFAS) score, the visual analog scale and the SF-12 respectively in its Mental and Physical Component Scores. Radiologic assessment included computed tomographic (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and intraoperative measurement of the lesion. A multivariate statistical analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Mean lesion size measured during surgery was 1.1 cm³ ± 0.5 cm³. We found a significant difference in clinical and radiologic parameters with analysis of variance for repeated measures ( P < .001). All clinical scores significantly improved ( P < .05) from T₀ to T₃. Lesion area significantly reduced from 119.1 ± 29.1 mm² preoperatively to 77.9 ± 15.8 mm² ( P < .05) at final follow-up as assessed by CT, and from 132.2 ± 31.3 mm² to 85.3 ± 14.5 mm² ( P < .05) as assessed by MRI. Moreover, we noted an important correlation between intraoperative size of the lesion and body mass index (BMI) ( P = .011).

CONCLUSIONS

The technique can be considered safe and effective with early good results in young patients. Moreover, we demonstrated a significant correlation between BMI and lesion size and a significant impact of OLTs on quality of life.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, retrospective case series.

Current management of talar osteochondral lesions

Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) occur in up to 70% of acute ankle sprains and fractures. OLT have become increasingly recognized with the advancements in cartilage-sensitive diagnostic imaging modalities. Although OLT may be treated nonoperatively, a number of surgical techniques have been described for patients whom surgery is indicated. Traditionally, treatment of symptomatic OLT have included either reparative procedures, such as bone marrow stimulation (BMS), or replacement procedures, such as autologous osteochondral transplantation (AOT). Reparative procedures are generally indicated for OLT < 150 mm² in area. Replacement strategies are used for large lesions or after failed primary repair procedures. Although short- and medium-term results have been reported, long-term studies on OLT treatment strategies are lacking. Biological augmentation including platelet-rich plasma and concentrated bone marrow aspirate is becoming increasingly popular for the treatment of OLT to enhance the biological environment during healing. In this review, we describe the most up-to-date clinical evidence of surgical outcomes, as well as both the mechanical and biological concerns associated with BMS and AOT. In addition, we will review the recent evidence for biological adjunct therapies that aim to improve outcomes and longevity of both BMS and AOT procedures.

[Arthroscopic treatment of chondral lesions of the ankle joint. Evidence-based therapy]

Ankle sprains are the most relevant injuries of the lower extremities and can lead to damage to ligaments and osteochondral lesions. Up to 50 % of patients with a sprained ankle later develop a lesion of the cartilage in the ankle joint or an osteochondral lesion of the talus. This can lead to osteoarthritis of the injured ankle joint. Spontaneous healing is possible in all age groups in cases of a bone bruise in the subchondral bone but in isolated chondral injuries is only useful in pediatric patients. In many cases chondral and osteochondral injuries lead to increasing demarcation of the affected area and can result in progressive degeneration of the joint if not recognized in time. There also exist a certain number of osteochondral changes of the articular surface of the talus without any history of relevant trauma, which are collectively grouped under the term osteochondrosis dissecans. Perfusion disorders are discussed as one of many possible causes of these alterations. Nowadays, chondral and osteochondral defects can be treated earlier due to detection using very sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) techniques. The use of conservative treatment only has a chance of healing in pediatric patients. Conservative measures for adults should only be considered as adjuvant treatment to surgery.Based on a comprehensive analysis of the current literature, this article gives an overview and critical analysis of the current concepts for treatment of chondral and osteochondral injuries and lesions of the talus. With arthroscopic therapy curettage and microfracture of talar lesions are the predominant approaches or retrograde drilling of the defect is another option when the chondral coating is retained. Implantation of autologous chondral cells or homologous juvenile cartilage tissue is also possible with arthroscopic techniques. Osteochondral fractures (flake fracture) are usually performed as a mini-open procedure supported by arthroscopy. The use of the osteochondral autograft transfer system (OATS), implantation of membranes with or without autologous bone marrow transfer and possibly with growth factors or implantation of stem cells are carried out in combination with arthroscopic mini-open procedures. The results from the literature are discussed and compared with own results after arthroscopic treatment of chondral lesions of the talus.

Osteochondral Allograft Transfer for Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to present a systematic review of the literature regarding the use of fresh bulk osteochondral allograft transfer for treatment of large osteochondral lesions of the talus (OCLT) in an effort to characterize the functional outcomes, complications, and reoperation rates.

METHODS

A search of the PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Cochrane Databases was performed between January 1, 1990, and March 1, 2016, and included all articles related to outcomes after fresh talar allograft transplantation for OCLT. Inclusion criteria were series (1) published in the English language, (2) using fresh talar allograft, and (3) reporting at least one outcome measure of interest including American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, pain visual analog scale (VAS) score, reoperation rate, and rate of allograft collapse. Weighted averages of outcome data were used.

RESULTS

Five studies involving 91 OCLT met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of the cohort was 39 years (range, 15 to 74), and 53% were male. Fresh talar allograft was transplanted into 71 medial, 18 lateral, and 2 central OCLT. At a mean follow-up of 45 ± 3.3 (range, 6 to 91) months, AOFAS scores improved from 48 preoperatively to 80 postoperatively. Pain VAS scores improved from 7.1 preoperatively to 2.7 postoperatively. Twenty-three of the 91 (25%) patients required at least one reoperation, for a total of 28 operations. The most common indications for reoperation were development of moderate to severe osteoarthritis (14%), pain due to hardware (9%), extensive graft collapse (3%), and delayed or nonunion of osteotomy site (1%). Ultimately 12 (13.2%) of the cases were considered failures, with 8 (8.8%) resulting in tibiotalar arthrodesis or ankle replacement.

CONCLUSIONS

Fresh bulk allograft transplantation can substantially improve functional status as well as effectively prevent or delay the eventual need for ankle arthrodesis or replacement. However, patients must be carefully selected and counseled on the morbidity of the procedure as well as the high incidence of clinical failure (13%) and need for reoperation (25%) and revision surgery (8.8%).

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, systematic review of Level IV studies.

Juvenile Particulate Osteochondral Allograft for Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: Detection of Altered Repair Tissue Biochemical Composition Using 7 Tesla MRI and T2 Mapping

During the previous 2 decades, numerous surgical procedures have become available to treat osteochondral lesions of the talus. The objective of the present study was to use 7 Tesla (7T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify and compare T2 values (a marker of collagen architecture) of native tibiotalar cartilage and cartilage repair tissue in patients treated with a juvenile particulate allograft for osteochondral lesions of the talus. The institutional review board approved the present study, and all subjects provided written informed consent. We scanned the ankles of 7 cartilage repair patients using a 7T MRI scanner with a multi-echo spin-echo sequence to measure the cartilage T2 values. We assessed the cartilage T2 values in the talar repair tissue, adjacent native talar cartilage, and overlying tibial cartilage. We compared the differences between groups using the paired t test. The talar cartilage repair tissue demonstrated greater mean T2 relaxation times compared with the native adjacent talar cartilage (64.88 ± 12.23 ms versus 49.56 ± 7.82 ms; p = .043). The tibial cartilage regions overlying these talar cartilage regions demonstrated a trend toward greater T2 relaxation times (77.00 ± 31.29 ms versus 59.52 ± 7.89 ms; p = .067). 7T MRI can detect differences in T2 values in cartilage repair tissue compared with native cartilage and could be useful for monitoring the status of cartilage health after surgical intervention.

Operative Treatment for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: Biologics and Scaffold-Based Therapy

OBJECTIVE

Numerous basic science articles have published evidence supporting the use of biologic augmentation in the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT). However, a comprehensive evaluation of the clinical outcomes of those treatment modalities in OLT has yet to be published. The purpose of this review is to provide an evidence-based overview of clinical outcomes following biologic augmentation to surgical treatments for OLT.

DESIGN

A comprehensive literature review was performed. Two commonly used surgical techniques for the treatment of OLT-bone marrow stimulation and osteochondral autograft transfer-are first introduced. The review describes the operative indications, step-by- step operative procedure, clinical outcomes, and concerns associated with each treatment. A review of the currently published basic science and clinical evidence on biologic augmentation in the surgical treatments for OLT, including platelet-rich plasma, concentrated bone marrow aspirate, and scaffold-based therapy follows.

RESULTS

Biologic agents and scaffold-based therapies appear to be promising agents, capable of improving both clinical and radiological outcomes in OLT. Nevertheless, variable production methods of these biologic augmentations confound the interpretation of clinical outcomes of cases treated with these agents.

CONCLUSIONS

Current clinical evidence supports the use of biologic agents in OLT cases. Nonetheless, well-designed clinical trials with patient-specific, validated and objective outcome measurements are warranted to develop standardized clinical guidelines for the use of biologic augmentation for the treatment of OLT in clinical practice.

Long-term results of microfracture in the treatment of talus osteochondral lesions

PURPOSE

Osteochondral lesions of the talus are common injuries, and many clinicians consider arthroscopic debridement and microfracture as the first-stage treatment. This study assessed the long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of arthroscopic debridement and microfracture for osteochondral lesions of the talus.

METHODS

A total of 82 patients (48 males, 34 females) who were treated with arthroscopic debridement and microfracture for osteochondral lesions of the talus between 1996 and 2009 with a minimum 5-year follow-up were included in our study group. Functional scores (AOFAS, VAS) and ankle range of motion were determined, and an arthrosis evaluation was performed. Subgroup evaluations based on age, lesion localization, and defect size were performed using functional outcome correlations.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 35.9 ± 13.4 years (14-69 years), and the mean follow-up period was 121.3 months (61-217 months). The mean defect size was 1.7 ± 0.7 cm2 (0.25-5). The mean pre-operative AOFAS score was 58.7 ± 5.2 (49-75), and the mean post-operative AOFAS score was 85.5 ± 9.9 (56-100). At the last follow-up, 35 patients (42.6%) had no symptoms and 19 patients (23.1%) had pain after walking more than 2 h or after competitive sports activities. Radiological assessments of arthrosis revealed that no patient had grade 4 arthritis but that 27 patients (32.9%) had a one-stage increase in their arthrosis level. Subgroup analyses of the lesion location demonstrated that lateral lesions had significantly better functional results (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Arthroscopic debridement and microfracture provide a good option for the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus over the long term in select patients. Functional outcomes do not correlate with defect size or patient age. Orthopaedic surgeons should adopt the microfracture technique, which is minimally invasive and effective for treating osteochondral lesions of the talus.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.