Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40801648›Full record

ReviewCells2025

Regenerative Cartilage Treatment for Focal Chondral Defects in the Knee: Focus on Marrow-Stimulating and Cell-Based Scaffold Approaches.

Filippo Migliorini, Francesco Simeone, Tommaso Bardazzi, Michael Kurt Memminger, Gennaro Pipino, Raju Vaishya, Nicola Maffulli

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cells, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Clinical relevance of patient-reported outcome measures in the surgical management of focal chondral defects of the knee: a systematic review.Journal of orthopaedics and traumatology : official journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology · 2026
    Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Filippo MiglioriniDepartment of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of Halle, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06097 Halle (Saale), Germany.
Francesco SimeoneDepartment of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Academic Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), via Lorenz Böhler 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
Tommaso BardazziDepartment of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Academic Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), via Lorenz Böhler 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.ORCID 0009-0006-0169-8326
Michael Kurt MemmingerDepartment of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Academic Hospital of Bolzano (SABES-ASDAA), via Lorenz Böhler 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
Gennaro PipinoDepartment of Orthopaedics, Villa Erbosa, IRCCS Ospedale S. Raffaele, 40119 Milano, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-1096-8467
Raju VaishyaDepartment of Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement Surgery, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi 110076, India.ORCID 0000-0002-9577-9533
Nicola MaffulliDepartment of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University "La Sapienza" of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Roma, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-5327-3702

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Focal chondral defects of the knee are a common cause of pain and functional limitation in active individuals and may predispose to early degenerative joint changes. Given the limited regenerative capacity of hyaline cartilage, biologically based surgical strategies have emerged to promote tissue repair and restore joint function. This narrative review critically examines current treatment approaches that rely on autologous cell sources and scaffold-supported regeneration. Particular emphasis is placed on techniques that stimulate endogenous repair or support chondrocyte-based tissue restoration through the use of autologous biomaterial constructs. The influence of lesion morphology, joint biomechanics, and patient-specific variables on treatment selection is discussed in detail, focusing on the differences between tibiofemoral and patellofemoral involvement. Biologically driven approaches have shown promising mid- to long-term outcomes in selected patients, and are increasingly favoured over traditional methods in specific clinical scenarios. However, the literature remains limited by heterogeneity in study design, follow-up duration, and outcome measures. This review aims to provide an evidence-based, morphology-informed framework to support the clinical decision-making process in the management of knee cartilage defects.

Indexed as

Cartilage, ArticularCartilage DiseasesKnee JointRegenerationTissue ScaffoldsAnimalsChondrocytesHumansTissue Engineeringcartilagecell-based therapychondralregenerative medicinesurgery

Identifiers

PMID40801648
PMCPMC12346709

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.