Biologic Strategies for Surgical Treatment of Knee Cartilage Injuries

Injury of the knee articular cartilage is a significant cause of functional limitation in which the goal of treatment is the preservation of the native knee joint. Due to improvement in surgical techniques and technology, treatment options are increasingly available, allowing to treat a wide range of injuries, from minor to extensive lesions both acute and chronic. When addressed in a complex and careful manner, cartilage restoration procedures have been shown to provide successful clinical outcomes. In cartilage lesions, restoration of hyaline-like cartilage provides improved durability of repaired tissue and preferable wear characteristics. Cell-based cartilage restoration therapies have been developed to address the need for the long-term viability of repaired tissue. Such procedures provide a reliable source of chondrocytes, whether directly or through differentiation of multipotent precursor cells, capable of producing hyaline-like cartilage, with minimal formation of fibrocartilage tissue. This chapter aims to discuss and give insights into these regenerative, joint preservation techniques for cartilage treatment.