Abstract
Focal chondral or osteochondral lesions of the knee are common lesions involving either
the cartilage layers or the cartilage layers and the subchondral bone. Despite their
heterogeneous clinical presentation, they are important risk factors for the premature
development of osteoarthritis. Therefore, early detection of osteochondral lesions
and focal cartilage defects is crucial. In symptomatic (osteo-)chondral lesions, numerous
therapeutic strategies, ranging from conservative treatment to surgical procedures
such as marrow stimulation, osteochondral autograft transplantation, or autologous
chondrocyte implantation are available. Musculoskeletal radiologists should be familiar
with these surgical procedures, the evaluation of the postoperative findings as well
as the possible complications when interpreting postoperative imaging studies. This
review article describes the different surgical approaches to focal osteochondral
lesions of the knee with emphasis on postoperative imaging findings and the pitfalls
possibly encountered by the radiologist.
Keywords
osteochondral lesions - knee - postoperative imaging - magnetic resonance imaging
