The first fully arthroscopic one-stage autologous knee cartilage implantation in the world.
A novice procedure for articular cartilage repair was recently performed by the TheMIS group of orthopaedic surgeons in St. Lukas clinic, in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Two patients that had a cartilage lesion in their knee, were treated with autologous cartilage implantation in a one-stage procedure.
Current practice demanded that autologous cartilage implantation in large cartilage defects is performed in two stages. In the first procedure autologous cartilage is taken from the patient. It is then sent to a lab, where the chondrocytes are cultivated and multiplied. Six weeks later a second procedure follows where the cultivated autologous chondrocytes are implanted in the defect.
In recent years new techniques have been developed in an attempt to minimize patient morbidity and overall cost, while offering the same excellent clinical and histological outcome. In the technique we use, the lab that isolates and cultivates the chondrocytes is now in the operating room. A specialized team of biologists performs the chondrocytes preparation in this mobile lab in a standardized fashion, and the chondrocytes are then implanted in the defect with the use of a special carrying membrane.
All one stage procedures so far used stem cells and not differentiated autologous chondrocytes, while all other procedures with autologous chondrocytes so far were performed in two stages. This new procedure has shown efficacy with excellent clinical and histological outcome in on-going multicenter studies with a two-years follow-up so far.
The patients exited the hospital the next day, without any complications, and are already following the post-operative rehabilitation protocol.
This was the first time this technique was performed in Greece, and it was the first time worldwide that it was performed only arthroscopically.
This novice procedure of one-stage autologous chondrocytes implantation is a promising technique that will improve the already established way of treating cartilage defects, while at the same time minimizing cost and morbidity for the patient.