What future in the treatment of osteochondral knee defects?

Chondral and osteochondral knee defects are common and can be found in more than 60% of patients undergoing knee arthroscopy. The choice treatment of these lesions is surgical and the number of procedures that are performed annually is constantly growing: more than 200,000 per year in the United States, with a constant increase every year. This growth is due first of all to the improvement of available biotechnologies and to the evidence that in case of lack of treatment there is a risk of progression of osteoarthritis. Articular cartilage injuries commonly occur in young, active patients with high functional demands, eager to return to a normal activity of daily life (1).