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Osteochondral Grafts

  • Chapter
Musculoskeletal Tissue Regeneration

Part of the book series: Orthopedic Biology and Medicine ((OBM))

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Abstract

Hyaline articular cartilage is a unique, highly specialized tissue with a distinct architecture that lacks intrinsic means to heal effectively when injured in the adult. Symptomatic osteoarticular defects continue to be a formidable challenge for the clinical and the scientific communities alike. Of the various surgical treatment options that have been proposed to this end, only osteochondral grafting techniques reliably restore appropriate hyaline tissue in acquired articular cartilage lesions, especially when these involve the subchondral bone. Both autologous and allogeneic graft sources are available to the surgeon, who must consider the unique qualities and characteristics of either approach in the treatment algorithm. Autografts and allografts alike adhere to a common methodology, relying on osseous healing of mature osteochondral constructs to transplant the adherent viable articular cartilage. The required surgical technique is straightforward and reproducible but requires precision to restore articular surface congruity, achieve reliable bony ingrowth and, ultimately, clinical success. Scientific investigation to further validate empirical clinical practice and to improve implant quality and safety is ongoing and holds great promise for the future of osteochondral grafting in general, as well as bioengineered scaffolds and allogeneic tissue as a cell source in particular.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Simon Görtz, Michael B. Boyd & William D. Bugbee

Authors
  1. Simon Görtz
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  2. Michael B. Boyd
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  3. William D. Bugbee
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    William S. Pietrzak Ph.D.

  2. Biomet, Inc., Warsaw, IN, USA

    William S. Pietrzak Ph.D.

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© 2008 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Görtz, S., Boyd, M.B., Bugbee, W.D. (2008). Osteochondral Grafts. In: Pietrzak, W.S. (eds) Musculoskeletal Tissue Regeneration. Orthopedic Biology and Medicine. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-239-7_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-239-7_17

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-909-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-239-7

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