Chitosan-based scaffold augmentation to microfractures: Stable results at mid-term follow-up in patients with patellar cartilage lesions.

Purpose: Patellar cartilage lesions are a frequent and challenging finding in orthopaedic clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate a chitosan-based scaffold's mid-term clinical and imaging results patients with patellar cartilage lesions. Methods: Thirteen patients (nine men, four women, 31.3 ± 12.7 years old) were clinically evaluated prospectively at baseline, 12, 24 and at a final minimum follow-up of 60 months (80.2 ± 14.7) with International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and Tegner scores. A magnetic resonance analysis was performed at the last follow-up using the Magnetic resonance Observation of CArtilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) 2.0 score. Results: An overall significant clinical improvement in the scores was observed from baseline to all follow-ups, with stable clinical results from 24 months to the mid-term evaluation. The IKDC subjective score passed from 46.3 ± 20.0 at baseline to 70.1 ± 21.5 at the last follow-up ( Conclusions: Overall, the use of this chitosan-based scaffold provided satisfactory results with a stable clinical improvement up to mid-term follow-up, which should be confirmed by further high-level studies to be considered a suitable surgical option to treat patients affected by patellar cartilage lesions. Level of Evidence: Level IV, prospective case series.