Biomechanical outcomes of cartilage repair of the knee.

Abstract

Cartilage repair and restoration has become an increasingly popular surgical technique to provide symptomatic relief to young patients with focal articular cartilage defects. Given the high level of interest and improvement in surgical techniques to perform cartilage repair or restoration, it is important that patient-reported, surgical and functional outcomes are evaluated both in the short term and long term. Despite the high levels of interest in cartilage repair and restoration techniques, there are few studies that have evaluated the effects of cartilage surgery on biomechanical and neuromuscular function of the joint and the lower extremity. The focus of the following review is to evaluate the current evidence available on biomechanical functional outcomes after cartilage repair with clinical applications to the rehabilitation process.