Autologes Resurfacing der Gelenkoberfläche

The treatment of deep cartilage defects is still a problem for which there is no satisfactory solution. Full-thickness defects of the articular cartilage rarely heal spontaneously. Techniques currently available for the treatment of chondral defects include abrasion, drilling, micro-fracturing, tissue autografts, allografts, and cell transplantation. Osteochondral autograft transplantation is currently the only surgical cartilage repair technique known to lead to the formation and retention of genuine hyaline articular cartilage. The Draenert method using a diamond bone-cutting system is an effective procedure for resurfacing the joint affected by localised cartilaginous defects, even when there is also severe bone loss. The problem of donor-side morbidity can be minimalised by filling the defect caused by harvesting with a press-fit cylinder of cancellous bone protected with periosteum.