We performed a prospective study to evaluate arthroscopic findings for the treatment of articular defects at 6 months after mosaicplasty. Five knees in 5 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age of the patients was 22.0 (range 15 to 38). The diagnosis of the original disease was osteochondritis dissecans in 3 and osteochondral fractures in 2. Three cases were on lateral femoral condyle, 1 involved medial femoral condyle, and 1 involved patella. The size of the defects ranged from 156 to 195 mm2 (mean: 176.4 mm2). All implanted osteochondral grafts united with the original defects. The gaps between the grafts and the surrounding articular cartilage were completely filled with reparative tissues except in the patella case. On close observation, surface incongruity was seen in 2 cases, and focal disruptions of the gaps between the grafts and the surrounding articular cartilage were seen in 2 cases. There was no softening on the surfaces of the grafts, but a soft indentation was felt upon probing all surfaces of the reparative tissues in the gaps. It is currently unknown whether surface incongruity, focal disruptions of the gaps, and softening on the surface of reparative tissues will lead to degenerative changes.
