Knee Focalplasty for Partial Tibial or Femoral Resurfacing Using 3-Dimensional-Printed Titanium Implants.

Abstract

Articular cartilage lesions of the knee are common and can lead to persistent symptoms of pain, swelling, and limitations in activity for many active individuals. In the middle-aged patient, cartilage repair options have been shown to have greater failure rates. Total or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty also can be considered but may be undesirable for active patients because of the morbidity of the procedure as well as postoperative activity limitations. Focalplasty is a minimally invasive technique to treat focal chondral and osteochondral lesions of the knee with 3-dimensional-printed porous titanium implants that allow for bony ingrowth and immediate weight-bearing. This technical note demonstrates implantation technique for both the tibial and femoral implants for application in focal tibiofemoral disease.