Techniques of chondral and osteochondral repair in the knee

Summary Spontaneous repair of chondral lesions is incomplete and of poor quality. Currently, the repair of cartilage with loss of substance can only be envisaged if it is located in a weightbearing zone in young subjects with a well aligned and stable knee. Four techniques are currently used and satisfying: microfractures, osteochondral grafts, and grafts of chondrocytes. Fresh allografts are also reported, though they are difficult to employ in Europe.