Articular cartilage surgery for the athlete

Purpose of review Current management of articular cartilage injuries has become one of the best examples of the translational relationship between technology, science, and surgery. In this review, we discuss the newest developments in this area over the past year with special emphasis on the implications for athletes. Recent findings Recent developments have been helpful in elucidating the important differences among techniques for articular cartilage injury management. The best results with microfracture and osteochondral autografts seem to be obtained with small lesions (<2 cm2), whereas larger lesions require autologous chondocyte implantation and osteochondral allografts. The results of microfracture seem to diminish over time whereas those of autologous chondrocyte implantations do not seem to change. Articular cartilage lesions seem to do better when treated early (within 12 months of injury). Comparative outcomes studies have shown little statistically significant differences in the different methods of achieving cartilage repair; however, second-generation autologous chondrocyte implantation has shown promise. Although the recent data are applicable to athletes, data that focuse on the topic of articular cartilage surgery in athletes are limited. Summary Articular cartilage repair techniques have become important tools that enable today's orthopedic surgeons to optimize outcomes for patients. A rapidly growing database is yielding better understanding of the short-term and long-term outcomes of available treatment options.