According to a study published online in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation may be a successful treatment option for active patients who sustain a cartilage injury to their knee. 

The researchers reviewed information on 142 highly active patients (149 knees) who participated in sport or recreational activity prior to a cartilage injury and underwent OCA transplantation. At mean 6-year follow-up, they found that 75.2 percent of knees had returned to sport or recreational activity. Based on a survey of patients who did not return to sport, knee-related issues and lifestyle changes were cited as reasons. Overall, patients who did not return to sport were more likely to be female, have injured their knee in an activity other than sport, and have a larger graft size. The researchers note that after OCA transplantation, 25.5 percent of knees underwent further surgery, with 14 knees (9.4 percent of entire cohort) considered allograft failures. Among the patients (135 knees) in which the graft had remained in situ, 91 percent were satisfied with the results of the surgery. Learn more...