An analysis of surface profile for cylindrical osteochondral grafts of the knee quantitative evaluation using a three-dimensional laser scanner

Abstract

To investigate the congruency of the articular cartilage surface of the knee between the recipient and donor site during autogenous osteochondral grafting using a three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning. Six cadaveric knees were included in this study. The 3D profiles of the articular surface were obtained by a 3D laser scanner (FastSCAN(®), Polhemus). We divided each of the donor and recipient sites into 6 areas in each. The 2 central areas of the donor site were excluded from evaluation because of the trochlear groove. In the donor site, the peripheral and the middle one-third of the femoral articular surface in the medial and lateral patellofemoral joint were extracted. In the recipient site, the peripheral and the middle one-third of the articular surface in the medial and lateral femoral condyle were assessed. In each recipient area, vertical intervals (VIs) of grafts of 6, 8, and 10mm diameter, showing the distance between highest and lowest point of articular surface were calculated from the data obtained and to the donor sites for matching. ϕ6- and ϕ8-mm grafts The VI of the middle area of the donor site did not differ significantly from that of either the peripheral or the middle area of the recipient site. The VI of the peripheral area of the donor site was significantly higher than that of the peripheral area of the recipient site (p<0.01). ϕ10-mm grafts The VI of the middle area of the donor site was significantly lower than that of the peripheral area of the recipient site. The VI of the peripheral area of the donor site was significantly higher than that of the middle area of the recipient site (p<0.01). An osteochondral graft harvested from the peripheral area of the patellofemoral joint might protrude into the middle area in the recipient site, whereas a ϕ10-mm osteochondral graft harvested from the middle area might be depressed from the peripheral area into the recipient site.