Basic Science to Support Clinical Evidence
Articular cartilage paste grafting has shown long-term efficacy in the treatment of large arthritic chondral lesions of the knee. This minimally invasive cartilage resurfacing technique combines extensive marrow stimulating with stem cells, cartilage, and bone grafting for articular cartilage repair. Although the long-term clinical result of this technique shows promise, the cellular and biochemical composition of the paste graft has not been characterized in vitro.

The Articular Cartilage Paste Graft Characterization Study
Cartilageous paste and bone plugs were obtained at surgery and were cultured for 6-8 weeks in growth media. The cells were then placed on three-dimensional scaffolds. Biochemical assessment was performed to determine cartilage-related content and gene expression.

Study Results
The preliminary results from this study show both the paste and the bone plugs contain live progenitor cells and have the capacity to form cartilaginous matrix.

Why This Study Is Important
Current surgical and biological efforts to restore articular cartilage have shown variable clinical results in arthritic knees and none have reported consistent formation of normal articular cartilage. The articular cartilage paste graft technique is a cost effective, one-step, minimally invasive technique for cartilage repair that has shown promise in arthritic patients that have limited treatment options to extend active function and alleviate pain. Characterization of the paste provides the basis for improvements with growth and adhesion factors.