Osteochondral transplantation (OCT)
1994 Laszlo Hangody from Budapest described the covering technique of full coat cartilage damages with cartilage-bone cylinders, which were extracted from unloaded locations out of the same joint. The defects can be covered with one ore more cylinders via arthroscopic or open operation technique. The most common localisation in usage on the knee joint is the femoral role. The method is a good alternative therapy for the restoration of fourth degree damaged smaller cartilage surfaces, but requires an intense surgical experience. The method fails in case of extensive cartilage wear and tear within the scope of an advanced arthrosis. The procedure is decisively dependant on the limited availibility of cylinders inside of the affected joint. Additional disadvantages are the incongruency between the cylinder surface and the joint surface, broken off cartilage caps as well as pains in the area of the extraction point, like in approx. 10 % of the cases. The results of the technique based on retrospective studies show a success rate of approx. 80 %.