Autologous cartilage implantation for full thickness articular cartilage defects of the knee.

A variety of strategies have been employed for managing articular cartilage defects of the knee, including drilling and abrasion arthroplasty. These treatments are not always effective and when they are, the benefits may only be transitory. Unsuccessfully treated cartilage damage may progress to degenerative disease states and result in the need for a total knee replacement. In recent years the surgical implantation of healthy cartilage cells (autologous cartilage implantation [ACI] ) into damaged areas has been seen as an alternative option and is currently under investigation as a potential improvement over the current strategies for the management and treatment of articular cartilage defects.