gator56 wrote:
I'm 42 and was diagnosed with a 3cm defect in my articular knee cartilage. Saw a NBA team doc, and recommended OATS procedure. Anyone run competitively after undergoing this procedure? Would be looking at running 50 to 60 miles a week. Typically ran 80 to 100 miles in my prime. Thank you very much for any information!!!
One of the best surgeons out there who does autografts and allografts:
http://drbugbee.com/index.htmlhttp://drbugbee.com/cartilage.htmlI would ask him.
Answer: Probably not, with a large defect and a cartilage plug. Results don't tend to be as good as one would hope for. I would instead look into DeNovo NT or DeNovo ET (if the latter is available):
http://www.zimmer.com/medical-professionals/products/biologics-sports-medicine/denovo-nt-natural-tissue.htmlOf course, you need to have a defect without significant bone damage for this to be an option.
A final option to consider might be Arthrex BioCartilage...esp if you get denied for DeNovo. Not sure if your defect is too large for it: This could also be used if you get a graft and the area where the graft meets the existing cartilage abrades, as tends to happen, sometimes...