Treatment of deep cartilage defects of the ankle with matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI)

Matrix-induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (MACI) was used for the treatment of six deep chondral defects of the ankle. In five cases the site of the lesion was the talar dome, while the sixth patient presented a kissing lesion. The mean size of the lesion was 3.4 cm². Follow up averaged 33.8 months. AOFAS score was used for clinical-functional evaluation. The evolution of the implant was studied by MRI at 6, 12 and 24 months. With the exception of the patient with the kissing lesion, an improvement in the clinical-functional status and the presence of hyaline-like cartilage signal was observed in the treated ankles. All the patients underwent a second arthroscopic look at the time of malleolar screw removal: only in the ankle with the kissing lesion there was no evidence of repairing tissue. In our experience, MACI appears a reliable method for the treatment of chondral defects of the ankle.