Favorable short-term outcomes of micronized allogenic cartilage scaffold for glenoid cartilage defects associated with posterior glenohumeral instability.

PURPOSE

To determine clinical outcomes associated with micronized allogenic cartilage scaffold use for treatment of posterior glenoid cartilage defects at 2 years.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was performed on a consecutive series of patients who underwent arthroscopic treatment of a symptomatic posterior glenoid cartilage defect with micronized allogenic cartilage scaffold between January 2019 and December 2020. The primary outcome was subjective shoulder value (SSV) at latest follow-up. Secondary outcomes included visual analog scale (VAS), recurrence of instability, and range of motion (ROM).

RESULTS

Seven patients, including 4 in the setting of primary posterior instability and 3 in the setting of recurrent symptoms after arthroscopic posterior glenohumeral stabilization, were included in the analysis with a mean follow up of 2.6 years (range, 2-3.7 years). Statistically significant improvements were seen in SSV (median = 40, interquartile range [IQR] = 40-50 before surgery; vs median = 85, IQR = 67.5-87.5 after surgery;  = .018) and VAS (median = 4, IQR = 4-6.3 before surgery; vs median = 1, IQR = 0-1.5 after surgery;  = .010). No significant differences were seen in ROM. There were no cases of recurrent instability or reoperation.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of micronized allogenic cartilage scaffold for glenoid cartilage defects is associated with clinical improvement at 2-year follow-up. This is the case when performed in conjunction with index posterior labral repair when there is a concomitant glenoid cartilage defect or when performed in the setting of persistent pain and mechanical symptoms after prior posterior labral repair.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, therapeutic case series.