Magnetic Resonance Imaging Characterization and Clinical Outcomes after NeoCart Surgical Therapy as a Primary Reparative Treatment for Knee Cartilage Injuries

Background:Autologous cartilage tissue implants, including the NeoCart implant, are intended to repair focal articular cartilage lesions. Short-term results from United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) phase I and phase II clinical trials indicated that the NeoCart implant was safe when surgically applied as a cell-based therapy and efficacious compared with microfracture.Hypothesis:Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis would reveal NeoCart tissue maturation through to 60-month follow-up.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:Patients with symptomatic full-thickness cartilage lesions of the distal femoral condyle were treated with NeoCart in FDA clinical trials. Safety and efficacy were evaluated prospectively by MRI and clinical patient-reported outcomes (PROs) through to 60-month follow-up. Qualitative MRI metrics were quantified according to modified MOCART (magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue) criteria, with an independent evaluation of r...