[Menisci transplantation and autologous chondrocytes]

We report 66 patients with chondral and osteochondral knee lesions and 3 with ankle lesions in whom, after clinical and radiological examination, arthroscopy was performed to harvest 0.3 or 0.4 g of hyaline cartilage from the knee or ankle to be sent for culture. After culture, autologous chondrocytes were implanted using open surgery. Our statistics show 85-90% of excellent and good results in patients under 50 years of age, including 30 elite athletes who were able to return to sport. The best results in the knee were obtained in the femoral condyle, and in the talus for ankle lesions. In one patient, an ACI in the lateral condyle and a meniscal graft were performed in the same surgery, thus restoring the normal physiology and biomechanics of the joint.