Thin Osteochondral Allografts: Advantages and Use

Cartilage injuries of the knee are a common and debilitating problem. Several treatment strategies are discussed throughout this handbook. Each of these treatments have their unique advantages and disadvantages. Thin osteochondral allografts are “off-the-shelf” cryopreserved osteochondral allografts that address many other treatment strategies’ limitations. They all contain a microscopic layer of bone and attempt to maximize viable chondrocytes, which shares the attributes of standard osteochondral allografts (OCA), yet are flexible. This allows the construct to conform readily to any surface topology of the knee. Unlike standard OCA, there is no donor site morbidity or absolute requirement for a staging operation. Early basic science and clinical outcomes studies are promising, but future studies are needed to demonstrate clinical equivalency to standard OCA. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce these implants, present a case study, discuss the potential advantages, and discuss the current available data that support their use.