Arthroscopic Chondroplasty

Cartilage lesions of the knee are a common pathology found in up to 60% of patients undergoing knee arthroscopy. The prevalence of cartilage lesions is particularly high among athletes due to the increased physiologic and mechanical demands they face. Cartilage lesions can result from traumatic injuries or chronic knee pathologies. The associated symptoms can help to localize the lesion, and magnetic resonance imaging is the best imaging modality for visualizing and confirming cartilage defects. Treatment choice for cartilage lesions depends on the size of the defect, location, involvement of subchondral bone, and concomitant injuries. Chondroplasty is the treatment of choice for small cartilage lesions (<2 cm2) in patients whose primary symptoms are mechanical. Clinical outcomes following chondroplasty are favorable, though the results of chondroplasty alone are often difficult to assess since this procedure is commonly performed with other knee procedures. Athletes who undergo chondroplasty also experience good outcomes with a high return to sport following early and targeted physical therapy. Overall, though it does not restore normal cartilage, chondroplasty is a good treatment option for patients with small cartilage lesions whose symptoms are primarily mechanical because it is a relatively straightforward procedure that does not require long-term postoperative rehabilitation.