Articular Cartilage Lesions in the Knee

Symptomatic articular cartilage lesions in the knee continue to be a growing and troublesome problem for surgeons and scientists. The numbers in terms of patients affected and associated healthcare costs, both current and predicted, are staggering. Therefore, the available and proposed management strategies seem to increase exponentially as well as in accordance with advances in technology and basic science, translational, and clinical data. These rapid, expansive, and diverse changes are the motivation for this comprehensive update on management of articular cartilage lesions in the knee. We have assembled a team of thought leaders to cover the spectrum of key topics in this arena in a series of three special issues in the Journal of Knee Surgery. This first special issue covers the science behind the surgery, effective and applicable preoperative imaging, foundations for optimizing decision-making, and nonsurgical management strategies using an evidence-based patient care approach. I am very grateful to all of the authors who have contributed to this effort. Together, we hope that these special issues will serve to provide an effective tool for readers to optimize their approach toward articular cartilage lesions in the knee, resulting in improved patient care.

Publication History

Article published online:
29 October 2020