Cartilage restoration: overview of treatment options.

In 1743, Hunter11 described ulcerations of articular cartilage as problems that will not heal. The clinical consequences of articular cartilage knee defects are pain, swelling, mechanical symptoms, athletic and functional disability, and osteoarthritis (Figure 1). Full-thickness articular cartilage defects have a poor capacity to heal. The challenge to restore the articular cartilage surface is multidimensional, faced by basic scientists in the laboratory and orthopedic surgeons in the operating room. This article provides an overview of the contemporary treatment options available for the restoration of articular cartilage defects of the knee.