Trapezoidal osteochondral autologous plug single-block graft for treating chondral lesions of the knee: clinical and functional medium-term results in an observational study

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical and functional results of autologous trapezoidal plug single-block grafts fixed with absorbable chondral darts in patients with osteochondral knee lesions of varying sizes. METHODS Twenty-five patients underwent surgery from February 2000 to June 2008. Seventy-two percent of the patients were male, and the mean age was 29 years. RESULTS The right side (56%) and the medial condyle (92%) were most affected. The lesions had an average area of 5.28 cm(2), and the mean follow-up was 59 months. All of the variables other than instability showed significant improvements (p<0.05), as shown by the increase in the mean Lysholm score from 55 points preoperatively to 92 points (p<0.001) postoperatively. There was no loosening or collapse of the osteochondral graft. All of the patients had patellofemoral crepitation and pain for an average of six months. CONCLUSION Autologous trapezoidal plug single-block grafts are a therapeutic option for defects of varying sizes and provide good clinical results and low morbidity at the donor site in the medium term.