Abstract

Particulated cartilage implantation is emerging as a promising one-step surgical technique for treating chondral and osteochondral defects. This approach involves harvesting autologous or allogenic articular cartilage, fragmenting it into small particles, and reimplanting it into the defect site, often with biologic augmentation such as platelet-rich plasma or scaffolds. Preclinical studies demonstrate the biological rationale for this method, including chondrocyte viability, migration, and matrix synthesis. Clinical applications include the use of autologous minced cartilage, allograft juvenile cartilage, and commercial systems such as DeNovo NT® and AutoCart™. Favorable short- to mid-term outcomes have been observed, particularly in younger patients with isolated lesions, though evidence remains limited by a lack of high-level, long-term data. Particulated cartilage procedures offer advantages in cost, logistics, and single-step surgery compared to traditional methods like ACI. However, further research is required to optimize techniques and validate their long-term effectiveness across various joints and patient populations.