Articular Cartilage Restoration: The Shape of Things to Come

Cartilage restoration may be a misnomer as our current technologies fail to produce true native hyaline cartilage. There are multiple techniques and technologies available as a potential solution for symptomatic full thickness chondral or osteochondral defects. This review will discuss the indications and contraindications of various procedures. It should be emphasized that any effort to repair an osteochondral defect should be made if possible. If not, then factors such as alignment, status of the meniscus, patient factors such as obesity, and more should be considered and addressed before any restoration technologies. Specific lesion-specific parameters, most importantly size, should be considered before deciding which procedure should be used. Multiple technologies are on the forefront of cartilage regeneration and the answer of which to use is unknown. Future research to create the ideal cartilage regeneration system will include a favorable biological and biomechanical environment in an effort to truly restore articular cartilage.