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Background: Knee osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCAT) has been associated with good short- to mid-term outcomes, however, treatment failures occur more frequently than desired. This study used data from a lifelong outcomes registry to analyze knee OCAT treatment failure rates, variables associated with knee OCAT treatment failures, and outcomes after revision or arthroplasty surgery for knee OCAT treatment failures., Methods: Patient outcomes were followed after knee OCAT performed using standard preservation (SP) or Missouri Osteochondral Preservation System (MOPS®) allografts. The study population consisted of patients undergoing primary OCAT with ≥ 2-year follow-up. For comparisons, the treatment failure population was defined by patients in the study population with documented treatment failure (revision or arthroplasty) with ≥ 2-year follow-up after failure. Functional graft survival was defined as no further need for revision surgery after primary or revision OCAT., Results: A total of 262 patients (n = 136 males; 51.9%) were analyzed. SP grafts were used for 59 cases and MOPS grafts were used for 203 cases. Treatment failure was documented in 61 cases (23.3%). MOPS grafts were 3.3 times more likely to be associated with functional graft survival. SP grafts, older patient age, higher BMI, tibiofemoral bipolar OCAT and non-adherence to the postoperative rehabilitation protocol were significantly associated with treatment failure., Conclusions: Knee OCAT resulted in functional graft survival at short- to mid-term follow-up in the majority (70-88%) of cases. In addition, revision of primary OCAT resulted in functional graft survival for at least 2 years after revision surgery in the majority (66%) of patients., Level of Evidence: 2, prospective cohort study., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation is a restorative surgical option for large, full-thickness chondral or osteochondral defects in the knee. Variability in outcomes reporting has led to a broad range of graft survival rates. Using rate of salvage surgery following OCA as a failure metric, the purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence and risk factors for failure in a nationwide cohort., Design: The M151Ortho PearlDiver database was queried for patients aged 20 to 59 who underwent primary OCA between 2010 and 2020. Patients with prior cartilage procedures or arthroplasty were excluded. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to characterize cumulative rate of salvage surgery, defined as any patient subsequently undergoing revision OCA, autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), osteochondral autograft transfer system (OATS), unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the effect of several variables on odds of salvage surgery., Results: Around 6,391 patients met inclusion criteria. Cumulative 5-year salvage rate was 1.71%, with 68.8% in the first 2 years. Age 20 to 29 and concomitant or prior bony realignment procedures were associated with significantly decreased rate of salvage surgery (age-adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24-0.99, P = 0.046; realignment-aOR = 0.24, 95% CI, 0.04-0.75, P = 0.046)., Conclusions: In the largest OCA cohort studied to date, less than 2% of patients required salvage surgery. Young age and bony realignment were protective. These findings suggest that OCA in the knee is a durable cartilage-restoration procedure, especially in young patients with corrected alignment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: COI/disclosure forms previously submitted. Author Brett Owens discloses the following potential COI: consulting for Conmed, Mitek, Vericel Corp, Miach, Linvatec, DePuy Synthes Products, Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, Medical Device Business Services; royalties Conmed, Linvatec; stock options Vivorte; honoraria Vericel.

Background: Patients who fail initial extensor mechanism allograft (EMA) reconstruction for extensor mechanism disruption after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are left with few options. This study evaluated outcomes in patients that underwent revision EMA reconstruction following a failed EMA., Method: Ten patients that underwent revision EMA for failed index EMA with minimum 1-year follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Patients receiving fresh-frozen EMA (quadriceps tendon, patella, patellar tendon, and tibial tubercle) at index and revision EMA were included. The primary outcome was EMA failure defined as revision surgery, extensor lag > 30°, or Knee Society Score (KSS) < 60 at last follow-up. Descriptive statistics were performed, with p < 0.05., Results: Mean extensor lag improved from 55.6°±26.7° pre-revision to 32.8°±29.6° (p = 0.13) at mean follow-up of 43.8 months (range, 12-124 months). Mean KSS improved from 41.0 ± 9.5 pre-revision to 73.4 ± 14.5 at last follow-up (p < 0.001). All patients required assistive devices for ambulation at final follow-up: one (10.0%) required a wheelchair, five (50.0%) required a walker, and four (40.0%) required a cane. Seven (70.0%) patients experienced EMA failure at a mean of 33.6 months (range, 2-124) following revision EMA: three (30.0%) were revised for periprosthetic joint infection (one of which also had extensor lag > 30°), three (30.0%) additional patients had extensor lag > 30°, and one (10.0%) patient had KSS < 60 (this patient developed PJI and was treated nonoperatively with chronic antibiotic suppression)., Conclusions: Revision EMA reconstruction fails at a high rate despite leading to improvements in KSS. Further research is needed to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies for failure after initial EMA reconstruction., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare clinical outcomes for patients who underwent osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) based on the presence or absence of one or more self-reported drug allergies., Design: Prospective data were collected from 245 consecutive patients after OCA of the knee from one large academic institution. Patient-reported allergies were obtained via chart review. Patient-reported outcome measures, including activities of daily living of the Knee Outcome Survey (KOS-ADL), Marx Activity Scale, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), and visual analogue scale (VAS) pain were all collected. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for each outcome was quantified using a distribution-based method. Independent t tests were used to compare patient-reported outcome measures between those with and without self-reported allergies, while chi-square analysis of association was used to compare rates of MCID achievement., Results: Of 245 patients included, 83 (33.9%) reported having at least one drug allergy at the time of OCA. There were no statistically significant differences with regard to patient demographics, including age, body mass index, gender, or sports participation between those with and without a reported allergy. Similarly, there were no significant differences found between baseline preoperative patient-reported outcomes. Overall, both cohorts demonstrated a significant improvement from baseline scores at 2 years postoperatively. There were no differences found between any patient-reported outcome at 2 years postoperatively. The presence of at least one self-reported drug allergy was not a significant risk factor for failing to achieve the MCID in any specific outcome measure., Conclusions: The presence of one or more drug allergy was not associated with worse patient-reported outcomes or lower rates of clinically significant outcome improvement after OCA.

Background: The purpose of this study was to directly compare spiked washer and suture-post tibial-sided fixation techniques used for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction by measuring anterior tibial translation during cyclic tests., Methods: Fresh-frozen human knees were tested using a robotic system that applied 250 cycles of anterior-posterior tibial force (134 N) at 30° flexion, while recording tibial translation. Ten intact knees were tested to collect baseline data for native specimens. A single knee was selected to test ligament reconstructions using doubled tibialis tendon allografts. All grafts were fixed proximally using an EndoButton™, and the tibial end of the graft was fixed with either a spiked washer or with a suture post placed at two different locations (near and distant) relative to the tibial tunnel., Findings: Mean first cycle translation for intact knees was 4.8 (sd 1.8) mm; means after reconstruction were 2.6 (sd 0.9) mm (spiked washer), 10.1 (sd 1.9) mm (suture post near), and 10.4 (sd 1.5) mm (suture post distant). Corresponding means for translation increase over 250 cycles were 0.3 (sd 0.2) mm, 3.6 (sd 1.3) mm, 7.2 mm (sd 0.9) mm, and 8.0 (sd 1.3) mm. All mean increases (first cycle and cyclic) after ACL reconstruction were significantly greater than those for the intact knees, and all means with a suture post were significantly greater than those with a spiked washer. There were no significant differences between mean translations for near and distant suture post locations., Interpretation: Use of suture post fixation for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is questioned since increases in anterior tibial translation could lead to excessive post-operative knee laxity and possibly early clinical failure., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Chronic patellar tendon disruption occurs mostly after total knee arthroplasty, and is a challenging complication to treat. We have previously described an original technique for reconstruction using extensor mechanism allograft. The goal of this study was to assess the results of this technique in TKA and native knees., Methods: An observational, single centre, retrospective study was conducted. Nine patients in the TKA group and eight in the native knee group were included, all treated for chronic PT rupture. The operative technique included fresh-frozen allograft, in which the patella was fashioned into an hourglass shape and press-fit in a corresponding groove in the native patella. The primary outcome was failure of the graft defined by a residual extensor lag > 10°., Results: The mean age was 68 in the TKA group and 51 in the native group. The minimum follow-up was 24 months and the mean follow-up respectively 42 and 39 months. 33% of allografts failed in the TKA group where none failed in the native knee group, with a mean extension lag of 12.2° (0-30) and 1.25° (0-5), respectively. All but the three failures presented with an extension lag < 10°. Four cases of patellar bone block distal migration, less than 1 cm, were recorded in the native knee group without clinical repercussion., Conclusions: The results of this original technique in the setting of chronic PT rupture were excellent for native knees at a minimum follow-up of 24 months. However, results were less satisfactory in the TKA group, due to the substantial rate of failure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III.

Background: Cartilage repair algorithms use lesion size to choose surgical techniques when selecting a cartilage repair procedure. The association of fresh osteochondral allograft (OCA) size with graft survivorship and subjective patient outcomes is still unknown., Purpose: To determine if lesion size (absolute or relative) affects outcomes after OCA transplantation., Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3., Methods: The study included 156 knees in 143 patients who underwent OCA transplantation from 1998 to 2014 for isolated femoral condyle lesions. The mean age was 29.6 ± 11.4 years, and 62.9% were male. The majority of patients (62.2%) presented for cartilage repair because of osteochondritis dissecans. The mean graft area, used as a surrogate for absolute size of the lesion, was 6.4 cm 2 (range, 2.3-11.5 cm 2 ). The relative size of the lesion was calculated as the tibial width ratio (TWR; ratio of graft area to tibial width) and affected femoral condyle ratio (AFCR; ratio of graft area to affected femoral condyle width) using preoperative radiographs. All patients had a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Further surgical procedures were documented, and graft failure was defined as revision OCA transplantation or conversion to arthroplasty. International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) pain, function, and total scores were obtained. Satisfaction with OCA transplantation was assessed., Results: The mean follow-up among patients with grafts remaining in situ was 6.0 years (range, 1.9-16.5 years). The OCA failure rate was 5.8%. Overall survivorship of the graft was 97.2% at 5 years and 93.5% at 10 years. No difference in postoperative outcomes between groups was found in absolute or relative size. Change in IKDC scores (from preoperative to latest follow-up) was greater for knees with large lesions compared to knees with small lesions, among all measurement methods. Overall satisfaction with the results of OCA transplantation was 89.8%., Conclusion: The size of the lesion, either absolute or relative, does not influence outcomes after OCA transplantation for isolated femoral condyle lesions of the knee.

Background: The effect of patient age or sex on outcomes after osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) has not been assessed., Purpose: To determine clinical outcomes for male and female patients aged ≥40 years undergoing OCA compared with a group of patients aged <40 years., Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3., Methods: A review of prospectively collected data of consecutive patients who underwent OCA by a single surgeon with a minimum follow-up of 2 years was conducted. The reoperation rate, failure rate, and patient-reported outcome scores were reviewed. All outcomes were compared between patients aged <40 or ≥40 years, with subgroup analyses conducted based on patient sex. Failure was defined as revision OCA, conversion to knee arthroplasty, or gross appearance of graft failure at second-look arthroscopic surgery. Descriptive statistics, Fisher exact or chi-square testing, and Mann-Whitney U testing were performed, with P < .05 set as significant., Results: A total of 170 patients (of 212 eligible patients; 80.2% follow-up) who underwent OCA with a mean follow-up of 5.0 ± 2.7 years (range, 2.0-15.1 years) were included, with 115 patients aged <40 years (mean age, 27.6 ± 7.3 years; 58 male, 57 female) and 55 patients aged ≥40 years (mean age, 44.9 ± 4.0 years; 33 male, 22 female). There were no differences in the number of pre-OCA procedures between the groups ( P = .085). There were no differences in the reoperation rate (<40 years: 38%; ≥40 years: 36%; P = .867), time to reoperation (<40 years: 2.12 ± 1.90 years; ≥40 years: 3.43 ± 3.43 years; P = .126), or failure rate (<40 years: 13%; ≥40 years: 16%; P = .639) between the older and younger groups. Patients in both groups demonstrated significant improvement in Lysholm (both: P < .001), International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) (both: P < .001), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) (both: P < .001), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) (both: P < .001), and Short Form-12 (SF-12) physical (both: P < .001) scores compared with preoperative values. Patients aged ≥40 years demonstrated significantly higher KOOS symptom ( P = .015) subscores compared with patients aged <40 years. There were no significant differences in the number of complications, outcome scores, or time to failure between the sexes. In patients aged <40 years, female patients experienced failure significantly more quickly than male patients ( P = .039). In contrast, in patients aged ≥40 years, male patients experienced failure significantly more quickly than female patients ( P = .046)., Conclusion: This study provides evidence that OCA is a safe and reliable treatment option for osteochondral defects in patients aged ≥40 years. Male and female patients had similar outcomes. Patients aged <40 years demonstrated lower KOOS symptom subscores postoperatively compared with older patients, potentially attributable to higher expectations of return to function postoperatively as compared with older patients.

Background: Conventional osteochondral allograft (OCA) matching, requiring orthotopic, size-matched condyles, and narrow surgical time windows often prohibit timely transplantation., Hypothesis: The femoral condyle radius of curvature (RoC) is an appropriate, isolated criterion for donor-host matching in fresh OCAs, potentially enhancing matching efficiency when compared with conventional matching techniques., Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study., Methods: In part 1 of this study, 3-dimensional digital reconstructions of 14 randomly selected, cadaveric distal femoral hemicondyles were performed. Each condyle was divided into anterior, middle, and posterior zones. A virtual best-fit grid was applied to each, and each zone's sagittal- and coronal-plane RoCs were determined. Seven nonorthotopic OCA transplantations were performed based on RoC matching with 1-mm tolerance, and the preoperative and postoperative surface geometry were quantified to assess the accuracy of articular surface restoration. Of note, each donor-host pair did not match by the conventional method. In part 2 of this study, 12 cadaveric distal femora were categorized by size and digitized in the aforementioned manner. Simulated circular defects measuring 20, 25, and 30 mm in diameter were introduced into each zone. OCA matches were determined based on donor and host RoCs, and the total number of potential matches (of 71 total comparisons) was recorded as a percentage for each simulated defect. Finally, the results of RoC matching were compared with the conventional method for simulated defects in all zones of both the medial and lateral femoral condyles., Results: Part 1: The mean surface deviation after OCA transplantation was -0.09 mm, with a mean maximum protrusion at any point of 0.59 mm. Part 2: Using the RoC, 20-mm defects had a 100% chance of being matched. Defects of 25 and 30 mm had a 91% and 64% chance of being matched, respectively. Compared with the conventional method, the RoC method yielded a 3.2-fold greater match rate for lesions of the medial and lateral femoral condyles ( P = .02)., Conclusion: This investigation shows that femoral condyle RoCs in the sagittal and coronal planes may be useful, alternative matching criteria, expanding on current standards., Clinical Relevance: These matching criteria may increase the number of available matches, reduce wait times for patients, and reduce the number of wasted grafts.

Background: Osteochondral autografts and allografts have been widely used in the treatment of isolated grade 4 articular cartilage lesions of the knee. However, there is a paucity of literature regarding the basic science investigating the direct comparison between fresh osteochondral allografts to autografts., Hypothesis: At 12 months, fresh osteochondral allografts are equal to autografts with respect to function, bony incorporation into host bone, and chondrocyte viability., Study Design: Controlled laboratory study., Methods: Eight adult mongrel dogs underwent bilateral hindlimb osteochondral graft implantation in the knee after creation of an acute Outerbridge grade 4 cartilage defect. One hindlimb of each dog knee received an autograft, and the contralateral knee received an allograft. All dogs were sacrificed at 12 months. Graft analysis included gross examination, radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), biomechanical testing, and histology., Results: MRI demonstrated excellent bony incorporation of both autografts and allografts, except for 1 allograft that revealed partial incorporation. Histologic examination of cartilage showed intact hyaline appearance for both autografts and allografts, with fibrocartilage at the host-graft interface of both. Biomechanical testing demonstrated no significant difference between allografts and autografts (P = .76). Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between allografts and the native cartilage with biomechanical testing (P = .84)., Conclusion: After 12 months from time of implantation, fresh osteochondral allograft tissue and autograft tissue in this study were not statistically different with respect to biomechanical properties, gross morphology, bony incorporation, or overall histologic characteristics. When compared with the previously reported 6-month incorporation rates, there was improved allograft and autograft incorporation at 12 months., Clinical Relevance: With no significant differences in gross examination, radiographs, MRI, biomechanical testing, or histology in the canine model, the use of allograft tissue to treat osteochondral defects may eliminate the morbidity associated with autograft harvest., (© 2016 The Author(s).)

In the "liquidus tracking" (LT) approach to cryopreservation both the temperature and the concentration of cryoprotectant (CPA) are controlled such that solution composition "tracks" the liquidus (melting point) line for that system. Ice crystal formation is prevented but the tissue is not exposed to CPA concentrations exceeding those experienced by cells during conventional cryopreservation. This approach is particularly appropriate for articular cartilage because chondrocytes in situ are exquisitely susceptible to damage by the crystallisation of ice. This project aimed to develop a suitable process for tissue to be used in the surgical repair of damaged human knee joints. A high proportion of the chondrocytes should be alive. Human articular cartilage was obtained from deceased donors and dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) was used as the CPA, cooling was at 0.14°C/min and warming at 0.42°C/min. The vehicle solution was CPTes2. A program of increasing DMSO concentration was developed for cooling and this gave satisfactory tissue concentrations but reduction of DMSO concentration during warming was inadequate, resulting in higher tissue concentrations than required. Biomechanical testing indicated a compressive modulus of 9.5±1.3 MPa in LT-processed cartilage, with control values of 11.6±0.8 MPa (p>0.05, Student's t-test). Measurement of GAG synthesis sometimes approached 65% or 85% of control, but the variability of replicate data prevented firm conclusions. Ideally allograft tissue should score 1A or above on the Noyes scale and the donor age should be less than 46 years but the cartilage used in this study did not meet these standards., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Extensor mechanism disruption following total knee arthroplasty is a rare but devastating complication. The purpose of this study was to report our experience with extensor mechanism allograft reconstruction for chronic extensor mechanism failure., Methods: Fifty consecutive extensor mechanism allograft reconstructions were performed in forty-seven patients with a mean age of 67.6 years who were followed for a mean time of 57.6 months (range, twenty-four to 125 months). The operative technique included the use of a fresh-frozen, correctly sized full extensor mechanism allograft that was tensioned tightly in full extension. Patients were evaluated clinically with use of the Knee Society score, and reconstructions were considered failures if the patient had a score of <60 points or a recurrent extensor lag of >30° or if they required revision or removal of the allograft., Results: Nineteen reconstructions (38%) were considered failures, including four revised to a second extensor mechanism allograft due to failure of the allograft, five for deep infection, and ten considered clinical failures secondary to a Knee Society score of <60 points or an extensor lag of >30°. The mean Knee Society score improved from 33.9 to 75.9 points (p<0.0001). The estimated Kaplan-Meier survivorship with failure for any reason as the end point was 56.2% (95% confidence interval, 39.4% to 70.1%) at ten years., Conclusions: Extensor mechanism disruption following total knee arthroplasty is a difficult complication to treat, with modest outcomes. Extensor mechanism allograft reconstruction is a reasonable option; however, patients must be informed regarding the substantial risk of complications, and although initial extensor mechanism function may be restored, expectations regarding longer-term outcomes are more guarded., (Copyright © 2015 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)