Single-Stage Arthroscopic Cartilage Repair With Injectable Scaffold and BMAC

Abstract

Injectable scaffold augmentation is a promising modality for single-stage cartilage repair. According to published studies, cartilage repair with scaffold augmentation has improved clinical outcomes, radiological fill, and histological repair compared with microfracture alone. Injectable scaffolds have the versatility to be used in large and irregularly shaped lesions. With correct preparation, they can be applied to lesions on the femoral condyle that may be vertical, or even inverted lesions such as those in the patella. They can be combined with bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) to provide mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), thereby avoiding the need for microfracture. This protects the subchondral plate, preventing biomechanical alteration and potentially resulting in improved long-term outcomes. In this article, we demonstrate the utility of injectable scaffolds and their combination with BMAC.