Microfracture is a
surgical technique that has been developed to treat chondral
defects, which are damaged areas of articular cartilage of the
knee. It is a common procedure used to treat patients with full
thickness damage to the articular cartilage that goes all the way
down to the bone.
This arthroscopic procedure
was first introduced about 20 years ago as a treatment method that
uses the body's own healing abilities and provides an enriched environment
for tissue regeneration on the chondral surface.
Since its development, the microfracture
procedure has been used by its originator to treat more than 2000
patients. Of these patients, 75 to 80% experienced significant pain
relief and improvement in the ability to perform daily activities
and participate in sports. Fifteen percent noticed no change, and
five percent continued to have joint deterioration.
