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Adolescents treated with ACI had significant improvements in knee-specific functional outcomes
Adolescents with symptomatic, large chondral lesions treated with autologous chondrocyte implantation experienced significant improvements in knee-specific function and health-related quality of life scores, according to results.
Researchers collected patient demographic data and preoperative and postoperative functional outcome scores of 37 patients (40.5% were men) younger than 18 years who underwent autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) between 1999 and 2011 and had a minimum 2-year clinical follow-up. Researchers also assessed characteristics of patients’ chondral lesions.
Primary outcome measures included the IKDC subjective score and the KOOS–Quality of Life (KOOS-QoL) score, while secondary outcome measures included the SF-12 and other KOOS subscores, according to researchers. Researchers performed a subgroup analysis to assess whether primary outcome results differed based on lesion location, concurrent meniscal allograft transplantation and subsequent surgery after ACI.
Results showed improvements in the IKDC subjective score from 34.9 preoperatively to 64.6 postoperatively and the KOOS-QoL subscore from 24.3 to 55.3 at final follow-up. Although all other KOOS subscales and the SF-12 physical component score showed significant improvements, researchers found the SF-12 mental component score showed no improvement. Researchers noted a 37.8% rate of subsequent surgery after ACI. Lesion location, concurrent meniscal allograft transplantation and subsequent surgery had no effect on improvement in IKDC subjective scores and KOOS-QoL subscores, according to results of a subgroup analysis. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosures: Cvetanovich reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.