Microfracture surgery

Microfracture surgery
Left knee-joint from behind, showing interior ligaments. (Lateral meniscus and medial meniscus are cartilage.)

Microfracture surgery is one of the articular cartilage repair surgical techniques that works by creating tiny fractures in the underlying bone. This causes new cartilage to develop from a so-called super-clot. Microfracture surgery has gained a profile in the sports world in recent years; numerous professional athletes including members of the NBA (most notably Anfernee Hardaway, Jason Kidd, Greg Oden, Allan Houston, Kenyon Martin, Tracy McGrady, Chris Webber, and Amar'e Stoudemire), MLB, NFL and NHL have undergone the procedure.

The surgery is quick (taking as short as 30 minutes but sometimes lasting as long as 90 minutes), is minimally invasive, and can have a significantly shorter recovery time than an arthroplasty (knee replacement). Combined with a high rate of success, these factors have caused orthopedic surgeons to use the procedure with increasing frequency.

Contents

Background

Chronic articular cartilage defects do not heal spontaneously.[1] However, acute traumatic osteochondral lesions or surgically created lesions extending into subchondral bone, e.g. by Pridie drilling,[2] spongialization[3] abrasion[4] or microfracture causing the release of pluripotent mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow, may heal with repair tissue consisting of fibrous tissue, fibrocartilage or hyaline-like cartilage.[5] The quality of the repair tissue after these "bone marrow stimulating techniques" depends on various factors including the species and age of the individual, the size and localization of the articular cartilage defect, the surgical technique, e.g., how the subchondral bone plate is treated, and the postoperative rehabilitation protocol.[6]

Development

The surgery was developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s by Dr. Richard Steadman of the Steadman-Hawkins clinic in Vail, Colorado. Steadman slowly refined the procedure through research (including tests on horses).[7] After Steadman experienced success with the surgery, professional athletes started taking notice. The surgery was soon called "controversial" by many sportswriters, due to a lack of studies on the long-term effects and the fact that an unsuccessful surgery could end an athlete's career.[8] However, Steadman and other researchers have proven that compared to other treatments, the procedure is safe and effective, even in the long term.[9] Dr. Steadman has also adapted the surgery into a treatment to help reattach torn ligaments (a technique he calls the "healing response") that he successfully used on alpine skiier Bode Miller.[10] Possible applications in the hip and ankle joints have also been speculated.[11]

Procedure

The surgery is performed by arthroscopy, after the joint is cleaned of calcified cartilage. Through use of an awl, the surgeon creates tiny fractures in the subchondral bone plate.[12] Blood and bone marrow (which contains stem cells) seep out of the fractures, creating a blood clot that releases cartilage-building cells. The microfractures are treated as an injury by the body, which is why the surgery results in new, replacement cartilage.[13] The procedure is less effective in treating older patients, overweight patients, or a cartilage lesion larger than 2.5 cm.[13] Further on, chances are high that after only 1 or 2 years of the surgery symptoms start to return as the fibrocartilage wears away, forcing the patient to reengage in articular cartilage repair. This is not always the case and microfracture surgery is therefore considered to be an intermediate step.[14]

The effectiveness of cartilage growth after microfracture surgery is thought to be dependent on the patient's bone marrow stem cell population and some think increasing the number of stem cells increases the chances of success. A couple of physicians are promoting an alternative treatment implanting autologous mesenchymal stem cells directly into the cartilage defect, without having to penetrate the subchondral bone.[15][16]

Microfracture Reports

Studies have shown that microfracture techniques do not fill in the chondral defect fully, forming fibrocartilage rather than hyaline cartilage. Fibrocartilage is not as mechanically sound as hyaline cartilage; it is much denser and unable to withstand the demands of everyday activities as well as the original cartilage and is thus at higher risk of breaking down.[17] The blood clot is very delicate after surgery and needs to be protected. In terms of time, the clot takes about 8 weeks to 15 weeks convert to fibrous tissue and is usually fibrocartilage by about four months post surgery, holding implications for the rehabilitation.[17]

Chondrocyte Implantation procedures (CCI), a cell based articular cartilage repair procedure that aims to provide complete hyaline repair tissues for articular cartilage repair, have been posed by some as an alternative to microfracture surgery. In February 2008, Saris et. al published a large-scale study claiming that CCI results in better structural repair for symptomatic cartilage defects of the knee than microfracture surgery. According to the study, one year after treatment, the tissue regenerate associated with CCI is of better quality than that of microfracture surgery.[18]

Use in professional sports

There have been many notable professional athletes who have undergone the procedure. Partially because of the high level of stress placed on the knees by these athletes, the surgery is not a panacea and results have been mixed. Many players' careers effectively end despite the surgery. However, some players such as Jason Kidd, Steve Yzerman, John Stockton, Kenyon Martin and Zach Randolph[19] have been able to return at or near their pre-surgery form while players Ron Harper, Brian Grant, Chris Webber, Allan Houston, Penny Hardaway, and the late Derek Smith never regained their old form.[12] Others such as Jamal Mashburn and Terrell Brandon never recovered and retired. Portland Trail Blazers rookie Greg Oden underwent the procedure on his right knee in early September 2007 and missed the entire 2007-2008 NBA season. At only 19 at the time of the surgery, doctors were confident that he would return to at or near full strength by the 2008-2009 season; he had a second microfracture surgery, this time on his left knee, in November 2010.[20] The Detroit Pistons player, Tracy McGrady also underwent microfracture surgery, doctors were confident that the 2 time scoring champion will return to full strength. As of 2010 he has not had the same speed and jumping ability as he formerly did.

In October 2005, young star Amar'e Stoudemire of the NBA's Phoenix Suns underwent one of the highest-profile microfracture surgeries to date. He returned to the court in March 2006 and initially appeared to have made a full recovery, but subsequently started feeling stiffness in both knees (his right knee had been overcompensating for the injured left knee). He and the team doctor decided he needed more time to rehab and he did not return until the 2006-2007 NBA season.[21] During the 2006-2007 season, Stoudemire returned to form, averaging 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game while playing in all 82 regular-season games and the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. His recent success has brought positive publicity to the procedure, further distancing it from a previous reputation as a possible "career death sentence" in the sports world, though he was one of the youngest of the aforementioned players to undergo the surgery.[22]

In June 2010, Grady Sizemore of the Cleveland Indians underwent microfracture surgery after injuring his left knee while diving back to first base earlier in the season. Sizemore was re-activated as the Indians center fielder in April 2011, ending an 11-month stretch of being disabled due to his injury. In his first game back on April 17, 2011 Sizemore showed no signs of slowing down as he had 2 hits in 4 AB which included a double and Home Run. Currently, Sizemore is the only player in MLB history to comeback from knee microfracture surgery and play centerfield.[23]

Recovery

Current studies have shown a success rate of 75 to 80 percent among patients 45 years of age or younger, even among professional athletes.[9][11] With the help of physical therapy, patients can often return to sports (or other intense activities) in about four months. However, this is a best-case scenario and depends on the severity of the cartilage damage (and any other conditions existing in the knee). Normal patients and professional athletes who play at the highest level however are quite different, as Chris Webber, who underwent the surgery, has stated that a full recovery in four months is nearly impossible. Webber returned to the NBA eight months after his surgery but was never the same.[24]

Microfracture surgery itself is relatively minor. It is an outpatient procedure and causes only small discomfort. The harder part is the restrictions that are placed on the patient during the post-operative recovery period. This can be a major challenge for many patients. For optimal re-growth of joint surface, the patients need to be very patient and also extremely cooperative. They usually need to be on crutches for four to six weeks (sometimes longer). Sometimes a brace is needed. This all depends on the size and/or location of the joint surface defect that is being repaired or regenerated. The patients are encouraged to spend approximately 6–8 hours a day on a CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine that helps with optimal re-growth of joint surface. Patients usually feel pretty good and think they can avoid these critically important steps, and even start running and jumping (or playing sports) before the internal aspects of the knee, and the joint surface, are ready.

Steadman cites the significance of a patient's natural joint alignment in addition to disciplined rehabilitation in recovery from the procedure.[12]

References

  1. ^ Hunter W (1743) "On the structure and diseases of articulating cartilages." Trans R Soc Lond 42B:514-21
  2. ^ Pridie K (1959) A method of resurfacing osteoarthritic knee joints. J Bone Joint Surg Br 41-B(3):618-619
  3. ^ Ficat RP, Ficat C, Gedeon P, Toussaint JB (1979) Spongialization: a new treatment for diseased patellae. Clin Orthop Relat Res (144):74-83
  4. ^ Johnson LL (1986) Arthroscopic abrasion arthroplasty historical and pathologic perspective: present status. Arthroscopy 2(1):54-69
  5. ^ Key JA (1931) Experimental arthritis: The changes in joints produced by creating defects in the articular cartilage. J Bone Joint Surg Am 13(4):725-739
  6. ^ Alford JW, Cole BJ (2005) Cartilage restoration, part 2: techniques, outcomes, and future directions. Am J Sports Med 33(3):443-460
  7. ^ Dr. Richard Steadman: Pioneer in Cartilage Regeneration, interview by Neal Patel, Knee1.com, July 31, 2000
  8. ^ "Bills looking for more balance on offense", Len Pasquarelli, ESPN.com, August 5, 2003
  9. ^ a b "Outcomes of microfracture for traumatic chondral defects of the knee: Average 11-year follow-up", Steadman et al., Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol 19, No 5 (May–June), 2003: pp 477–484
  10. ^ "Healing-Response Treatment for ACL Injuries", Steadman et al., Orthopedic Technology Review, Vol 3, No 3 (May–June) 2002
  11. ^ a b Orthopaedic Surgeon Performs Innovative Microfracture Procedure On Arthritic Knees Avoiding Knee Replacement Surgery, Medical News Today, February 26, 2006
  12. ^ a b c "Microfracture knee surgery and its impact on the NBA", Austin Kent, The Good Point July 26, 2010
  13. ^ a b "Older Knees Now Have New Option", Vicky Lowry, New York Times, April 5, 2005 (reprinted with permission in Steadman-Hawkins Research Foundation newsletter, Vol 11 (Fall-Winter) 2005-06)
  14. ^ www.cartilagehealth.com/acr.html Hambly K.Articular cartilage repair of the knee
  15. ^ Centeno CJ, Busse D, Kisiday J, Keohan C, Freeman M, Karli D Increased knee cartilage volume in degenerative joint disease using percutaneously implanted, autologous mesenchymal stem cells. Pain Physician. 2008 May-Jun;11(3):343-53.
  16. ^ Christopher Centeno, Dan Busse, John Kisiday, Cristin Keohan, Michael Freeman Increased knee cartilage volume in degenerative joint disease using percutaneously implanted, autologous mesenchymal stem cells, platelet lysate and dexamethasone http://www.amjcaserep.com/index.php?/archives/article/855038
  17. ^ a b "Articular cartilage repair of the knee" by Karen Hambly. www.cartilagehealth.com/acr.html
  18. ^ Characterized Chondrocyte Implantation Results in Better Structural Repair When Treating Symptomatic Cartilage Defects of the Knee in a Randomized Controlled Trial Versus microfracture, The American Journal of Sports Medicine volume 36 number 2, pp 235-246. February 2008
  19. ^ http://www.nba.com/features/stoudemire_060713.html
  20. ^ [1] "Greg Oden undergoes microfracture surgery"
  21. ^ "Amaré back in Valley", Paul Coro, The Arizona Republic, March 30, 2006
  22. ^ "The Daily Dime 3.17.07: 10 Drops of NBA Knowledge. (Section 3, Western Conference)", Marc Stein, ESPN.com, March 17, 2007
  23. ^ [2] "Sizemore’s running and Indians are winning"
  24. ^ "Amaré timeline spurs doubt", Phil Jasner, Philadelphia Daily News, October 19, 2005

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