Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation and Osteochondral Autograft Transfer

Cartilage defects commonly occur in young, active patients and can be debilitating injuries with patients experiencing significant pain and swelling. Clinical diagnosis is made using a combination of patient history, physical exam, imaging, and diagnostic arthroscopy. In patients who have failed conservative measures such as physical therapy, tolerable lifestyle modification, and injection treatments, surgical options exist including microfracture, autologous chondrocyte implantation, osteochondral autograft transfer, or osteochondral allograft transplantation. In this article, we present the diagnosis, indications, surgical technique, and reported outcomes for the treatment of cartilage defects with both osteochondral autograft transfer and osteochondral allograft transplantation.