Image of cartilage defects

Microfracture is a surgical technique that has been developed to treat chondral defects, which are damaged areas of articular cartilage of the knee. It is a common procedure used to treat patients with full thickness damage to the articular cartilage that goes all the way down to the bone.

This arthroscopic procedure was first introduced about 20 years ago as a treatment method that uses the body's own healing abilities and provides an enriched environment for tissue regeneration on the chondral surface.

Since its development, the microfracture procedure has been used by its originator to treat more than 2000 patients. Of these patients, 75 to 80% experienced significant pain relief and improvement in the ability to perform daily activities and participate in sports. Fifteen percent noticed no change, and five percent continued to have joint deterioration.