Editorial Commentary: Orthobiologics-The Evolution From Symptom to Structural Modification in the Treatment of Articular Cartilage Defects.

Abstract

The race is on to identify the optimal recipe for the treatment of focal cartilage defects. Although many attempts had been made, beyond the use of osteochondral allografts, the restoration of pristine hyaline cartilage still seems distant and out of reach. The fundamental assumption is that cartilage restoration constructs must provide both structural integrity and adequate biological features that provide the optimal environment for hyaline cartilage formation. Augmentation of biologic scaffolds and grafts with orthobiologic agents may attend to both needs by improving defect fill and integration to the host articular cartilage interface.