POST OP CARTILAGE REPAIR

The imaging procedures following cartilage surgery depend on the procedure that has been performed It is important for the radiologist to have a full and accurate description of the surgery

Cartilage repair report should include

      • whether there is a persistent defect or depression
      • any cartilage hypertrophy
      • articular cartilage prominence or clefts
      • relationship between osteochondral plugs and native cartilage.
      • signal changes in new ‘cartilage’
      • bony union between the native and any transplanted bone
      • bone oedema should decrease over time

Following a drilling procedure, in the early stages the cartilage defect will be easily identified There will be increased subchondral bone oedema which will gradually subside with time.  It should be noted that although the signal of the regenerated cartilage may look like true hyaline cartilage, histologically it may still resemble the less functional fibrocartilage.