Osteochondral Allograft and Autograft Transplant for Femoral Head Defects: A Multicenter Study

Osteochondral allograft transplant and autograft transplant for femoral head defects have emerged as promising treatments for concomitant cartilage and subchondral bone injuries in young patients.

To evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of patients who underwent osteochondral allograft or autograft transplant for femoral head defects and identify any risk factors that may lead to conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

All patients who underwent osteochondral allograft or autograft transplant for femoral head defects across 2 institutions were analyzed. Clinical outcomes were assessed at final follow-up with the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), Hip Outcome Score-Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS), and International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12). Complications and reoperations were recorded. Patients were assessed radiographically preoperatively and at final follow-up for osteoarthritis using Tönnis grading.

A total of 27 patients were included in this study (19 osteochondral allograft transplant, 8 osteochondral autograft transplant). The mean follow-up for the allograft and autograft cohorts was 2.8 and 9.5 years, respectively. The mean defect size for patients who underwent allograft and autograft transplant was 2.8 × 2.1 cm and 1.6 × 1.0 cm, respectively. The mean mHHS, HOS-ADL, HOS-SSS, and iHOT-12 for the allograft cohort were 86.7, 92.8, 81.4, and 79.0, respectively, and for the autograft cohort were 87.6, 92.7, 83.1, and 82.0, respectively. No significant difference in outcomes was noted for patients who underwent femoral head allograft versus nonorthotopic femoral condyle allograft transplant. For the allograft cohort, 4 patients (21.1%) underwent conversion to THA at a mean of 1.9 years. Of the remaining 15 allograft patients, only 1 patient (6.7%) had radiographic osteoarthritis progression. None of the patients in the autograft cohort underwent conversion to THA.

Osteochondral allograft and autograft transplant for femoral head defects demonstrated overall favorable clinical outcomes and rates of conversion to THA. Additionally, nonorthotopic femoral condyle allografts demonstrated similar outcomes to femoral head allografts. Both osteochondral allograft and autograft transplant should be considered for patients with focal femoral head defects.