TABLE 2.
Overview of Study Characteristics, Patient Demographics, and Outcomes
| Conservative Treatment | Bone Marrow Stimulation | Retrograde Drilling | Fixation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. studies | 8 studies6–8,14–18 | 8 studies6,7,15,19–23 | 6 studies9,14,16,24–26 | 4 studies7,21,27,28 |
| Study types | 8 retrospective case series | 8 retrospective case series | 6 retrospective case series | 4 retrospective case series |
| Mean follow-up duration (mo) | 16-144 | 16-67 | 24-70 | 40-48 |
| Patient age (range of individual data) (y) | 4-16 | 6-17 | 8-16 | 12-16 |
| No. lesions | 192 | 119 | 106 | 33 |
| Primary/secondary lesions | 192/0 | 119/0 | 106/0 | 33/0 |
| History of trauma | Available for 63 lesions 37 (59%) with a history of trauma | Available for 45 lesions 30 (67%) with a history of trauma | Available for 14 lesions 7 (50%) with a history of trauma | Available for 5 lesions 2 (40%) with a history of trauma |
| Lesion size (mean) | Available for 37 lesions 131 mm2 | Available for 21 lesions 131 mm2 | Available for 8 lesions 90 mm2 | Available for 19 lesions 164 mm2 |
| Lesion location | Available for 95 lesions 67 medial 7 central 21 lateral | Available for 33 lesions 31 medial 0 central 2 lateral | Available for 14 lesions 12 medial 0 central 2 lateral | Available for 5 lesions 3 medial 0 central 2 lateral |
| Berndt and Harty staging | Available for 190 lesions 21 stage I (11%) 80 stage II (42%) 80 stage III (42%) 9 stage IV (5%) | Available for 119 lesions 12 stage I (10%) 52 stage II (44%) 48 stage III (40%) 7 stage IV (6%) | Available for 78 lesions 11 stage I (14%) 44 stage II (57%) 21 stage III (27%) 2 stage IV (2%) | Available for 27 lesions 2 stage I (7%) 9 stage II (34%) 14 stage III (51%) 2 stage IV (8%) |
| RTS rates regardless of level (pooled results of individual data) | Not reported | Available for 37 patients (1 study21,23) 86% (95% CI: 42%-100%) | Available for 8 patients (1 study24) 100% (95% CI: 63%-100%) | Not reported |
| RTS rates to preinjury (pooled results of individual data) | Not reported | Available for 37 patients (1 study23) 43% (95% CI: 10%-82%) | Not reported | Not reported |
| RTS times (pooled results of individual data) | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Osteoarthritic changes (pooled results of individual data) | Not reported | Available for 21 patients7 0% (95% CI: 0%-16%) with signs of osteoarthritis | Available for 21 patients26 19% (95% CI: 9%-36%) with worsening of osteoarthritis | Available for 14 patients21 21% (95% CI: 5%-51%) with signs of osteoarthritis |
CI indicates confidence interval; RTS, return to sports.