Figure 3.

The single-step, full-arthroscopic autologous minced cartilage procedure for the treatment of knee cartilage defect. (a) Articular cartilage defect on the medial condyle of the left knee. (b) Defect after the debridement of all unstable cartilage with appropriate steep edges. During this step, chondral fragments are harvested for the preparation of the paste. (c) The arthroscopic fluid is drained from the knee, and the lesion is dried with a cotton swab. (d) Paste mixture containing autologous chondral fragments and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is carefully placed into the defect. The last step involves the introduction of autologous thrombin serum. The combination of the fibrinogen contained in the paste and the thrombin applied creates a stable clot that holds the mixture in the lesion.