Table 3.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

The technique is applicable to a wide range of cartilage damage, including bone-on-bone arthritis.

Bone marrow processing materials are inexpensive compared with commercially available bone marrow concentration kits.

The technique is a single-surgery arthroscopic procedure.

Failure of previous cartilage restoration procedures does not seem to be a negative prognostic factor.

Disadvantages

A large number of postoperative bone marrow aspirations and knee injections are required.

Postoperative injections are not covered by insurance.

Standard insurance reimbursement for microfracture surgery is low for the time involved in treating large or multiple lesions.