Long-term Outcome Evaluation of Patients Undergoing Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation Delivered on Biomaterial

LONG-TERM EVALUATION OF OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING AUTOLOGOUS CHONDROCYTE TRANSPLANTATION DELIVERED ON BIOMATERIAL (HYALOGRAFT C) Prospective Observational Study

Chondro-Long study is prospective observational study for a long-term clinical evaluation (follow-up up to 25 years) in patients treated with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial for full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III - IV) at the level of femoral condyles, trochlea, patella and tibial plateau.

The aim of the study is to collect long-term clinical data from the case series of patients surgically treated from 1999 to 2006 with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial for full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III - IV) or osteochondral defects at the level of femoral condyles, trochlea, patella, and tibial plateau. The objective of the study is to demonstrate the efficacy of this long-term cartilage regeneration technique (follow-up up to 25 years) in improving patient symptomatology and functional capacity

Patients will be recruited from all subjects surgically treated with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial for chondral/osteochondral lesions at the femoral condyles, trochlea, patella, and tibial plateau from 1999 to 2006 at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute. The study has 3 phases: Identification of includable patients, Follow-up assessment byTelemedicine platform, and the collection of study-specific clinical data of enrolled patients.

Clinical score data will be collected from the medical records and questionnaires conducted in the mid-term of patients enrolled in the study. These data will be used, together with data collected by telemedicine/long-term e-mail questionnaire, to evaluate the time course of outcomes after surgical treatment with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients who underwent autologous chondrocyte transplantation surgery delivered on biomaterial (Hyalograft C) from 1999 to 2006 at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute who met the following criteria at the time of surgery:
• Full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III - IV) and osteochondral defects at the femoral condyles, trochlea, patella and tibial plateau.
• Patients aged between 14 and 60 years at the time of surgery.
• Male and female sex.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients no longer available