Techniques of cartilage growth enhancement: a review of the literature.

This review attempts to present an overview of the literature pertaining to the techniques of cartilage growth enhancement. Only cartilage has an incomplete capacity for self-repair, especially of superficial defects. Full-thickness defects involving the subchondral bone can be repaired with the use of pluripotent progenitor cells from bone marrow or from transplanted perichondreum or periosteum. Bone-cartilage autografts and allografts transplanted into the cartilage defect heal primarily, but they loose their long-term biomechanical qualities because of transformation into fibrous cartilage. Cultivated human chondrocyte autografts may make cartilage healing possible in the future.