Table II.
Histological grading scale for the cartilage defects.
| Category | Points |
|---|---|
| Cell morphology | |
| Hyaline cartilage | 0 |
| Mostly hyaline cartilage | 1 |
| Mostly fibrocartilage | 2 |
| Mostly non-cartilage | 3 |
| Non-cartilage only | 4 |
| Matrix-staining (metachromasia) | |
| Normal (compared with host adjacent cartilage) | 0 |
| Slightly reduced | 1 |
| Markedly reduced | 2 |
| No metachromatic stain | 3 |
| Surface regularity | |
| Smooth (>3/4) | 0 |
| Moderate (>1/2-3/4) | 1 |
| Irregular (1/4-1/2) | 2 |
| Severely irregular (<1/4) | 3 |
| Thickness of cartilage | |
| >2/3 | 0 |
| 1/3-2/3 | 1 |
| <1/3 | 2 |
| Integration of donor with host adjacent cartilage | |
| Both edges integrated | 0 |
| One edge integrated | 1 |
| Neither edge integrated | 2 |
| Total maximum | 14 |