Alternative to knee replacement in young patients
Mosaicplasty is a procedure to treat small sized articular cartilage defects. In this procedure islands of articular cartilage are cored out from the non weight bearing portion of the knee. The defect is prepared by curetting it and stabilizing the edges, and its size measured. Cylinder shaped islands of cartilage and underlying bone are harvested from the edge of the trochlea. Tunnels are prepared in the floor of the defect to receive the grafts. The islands are transplanted into these tunnels.
Indiactions
In those patients who have undergone microfracture or drilling or abrasion chondroplasty, and have an ulcer mosaicplasty can be done as a second operation.