Abstract
Introduction
Osteochondral lesions of the talus are common injuries following acute and chronic ankle sprains and fractures, the treatment strategies of which include both reparative and restorative techniques. Recently, restorative techniques (i.e., autologous osteochondral transplantation) have been become increasingly popular as a primary treatment strategy, in part due to the potential advantages of replacing “like with like” in terms of hyaline cartilage at the site of cartilage repair. The current study examines the functional results of autologous osteochondral transplantation of the talus in 72 patients.
Methods
Between 2005 and 2009, 72 patients underwent autologous osteochondral transplantation under the care of the care of the senior author. The mean patient age at the time of surgery was 34.19 years (range, 16–85 years). The mean follow-up time was 28.02 months (range, 12–64 months). Patient-reported outcome measures were taken pre-operatively and at final-follow-up using the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score and Short-Form 12 general health questionnaire. Quantitative T2-mapping MRI was also performed on select patients at 1-year post-operatively.
Results
The mean FAOS scores improved from 52.67 points pre-operatively to 86.19 points post-operatively (range, 71–100 points). The mean SF-12 scores also improved from 59.40 points pre-operatively to 88.63 points post-operatively (range, 52–98 points). Three patients reported donor site knee pain after surgery. Quantitative T2-mapping MRI demonstrated relaxation times that were not significantly different to those of native cartilage in both the superficial and deep halves of the repair tissue.
Discussion and Conclusion
Autologous osteochondral transplantation is a reproducible and primary treatment strategy for large osteochondral lesions of the talus and provides repair tissue that is biochemically similar to that of native cartilage on quantitative T2-mapping MRI. This may ultimately allow the ankle joint to function adequately over time.
