Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2021, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (25): 4076-4081.doi: 10.12307/2021.023

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Autologous chondrocyte implantation in the treatment of cartilage defect of knee joint: no significant difference between regenerated and natural cartilages

Li Xiang, Fu Peiliang   

  1. Department of Joint Surgery, Changzheng Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
  • Received:2020-07-22 Revised:2020-07-24 Accepted:2020-10-29 Online:2021-09-08 Published:2021-03-30
  • Contact: Fu Peiliang, MD, Associate professor, Associate chief physician, Department of Joint Surgery, Changzheng Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
  • About author:Li Xiang, Master, Physician, Department of Joint Surgery, Changzheng Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
  • Supported by:
    the Scientific Research Project of Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai, No. 17411971800 (to FPL)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: With the improvement of the medical level and people’s higher requirements for the quality of life, the quality and requirements for cartilage repair in the clinic are getting more and more, but traditional repair methods cannot regenerate cartilage with good biological properties.
OBJECTIVE: To review the research progress of autologous chondrocyte implantation in recent years, and to analyze its development process, basic science, indications, contraindications, surgical techniques, clinical efficacy and limitations, and look forward to the development trend of this field.
METHODS: A computer-based online search of CNKI, PubMed, Web of Science databases, and Google Scholar was performed to retrieve papers published during 1990-2020 with the search terms “autologous chondrocyte implantation, cartilage defect, techniques, clinical effect, indications, contraindications, defect size, treatment after initial failure, return to sports, age, magnetic resonance imaging, limitation” in English and Chinese. The document types include treatise, reviews, case reports, and meta-analysis. A total of over 1 000 papers were retrieved, and 52 of them were included in the final analysis. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Autologous chondrocyte transplantation first appeared for the treatment of knee cartilage defects in the late 1980s. The first generation of autologous chondrocyte transplantation used periosteal patches to seal the cultured chondrocytes in the defect. Due to the proliferation of periosteal grafts, second-generation autologous chondrocyte transplantation used collagen membrane patches instead of periosteal patches. The third generation of autologous chondrocyte transplantation used three-dimensional culture technology to improve cell delivery, allowing minimally invasive implantation, which could regenerate normal cartilage structure with accelerating patient recovery. Autologous chondrocyte transplantation was an effective method to treat high tibia or femoral cartilage defects, but it must solve the problems consisting of coronal force line, ligament laxity, and meniscus injury. Because of the graft needing a long time to mature, patients needed a specific rehabilitation plan to return to the sport, which assisted the injured patients in restoring strength and neuromuscular coordination as much as possible before the graft was fully mature. 

Key words: chondrocyte, cartilage defect, basic science, clinical technology, indication, contraindication, curative effect, transplantation, review

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