Autologous Tissue Grafting: Patients
Example of a defect.
Image credit: www.orthoassociates.com/carticel.htm
Perichondrial graft patients are those suffering from full thickness articular cartilage defects that produce uncomfortable symptoms such as joint pain, swelling, catching, or grinding. It is important to treat these defects because significant damage to an articular cartilage surface will not heal and will likely further degenerate over time. Patients receiving the surgery are typically between 15 and 55 years of age, though relative physiologic health is a large factor in determining potential treatment success. Often, clinically appropriate patients are diagnosed through MRI or x-ray, and finally by arthroscopic evaluation. Individuals with advanced degenerative articular cartilage changes, such as arthritis, cannot undergo this therapy.
