Arthroscopic Osteochondral Allograft Transfer

Joint cartilage is the smooth covering at the end of bone, which forms joint surface.

This is made up of glistening white material known as hyaline cartilage. It has limited repair abilities. Damage can occur to the cartilage covering or cap due to trauma or it can be due to other causes. Cartilage defect can be either a partial thickness or a full thickness defect.

Human body owns ability to repair either partial or full thickness articular defects is not optimal. Recent development led to a newer technique known as OATS.

Osteoarticular Transfer System commonly known as OATS is a type of Mosaicplasty.

In this procedure damaged cartilage in the Knee Joint is replaced with healthy cartilage harvested from another area of the joint. This helps in relieving pain and restoring movement and function to the joint.

Diagrammatic presentation showing Osteo-articular plugs harvested from the non weight bearing surface of joint and used to fill up the cartilage defect.

Preoperative picture showing huge cartilage defect and postoperative picture showing two osteoarticular plugs filling the cartilage defect.

OATS is presently the only method to replace defects in hyaline cartilage with hyaline cartilage.

OATS procedure is beneficial in patients having relatively small, full thickness cartilage defect.

Rehabilitation

After surgery patient is allowed to move operated joint. Protected weight bearing is advised for few days; subsequently unprotected weight bearing is permitted depending upon the configuration of defect and overall reconstruction

Post operative recovery

After surgery you will be transferred back to your room.

There will be a dressing around your knee which you can remove next day. After which small dressing is applied.

You will be advised few exercises and precautions. Medication will be provided and to be taken as directed.

For more information or any query related to procedure feel free to contact us.

Other commonly done procedures:

• Cartilage Reparative Procedures

• Unicondylar (Partial) Knee Replacement

• Primary/ Total Knee Replacement