Introduction Osteochondral defects (OCDs) of the knee are rare lesions that cause pain and significant morbidity. These lesions are known to have no capacity for repair and increase the risk of secondary osteoarthritis. Mosaicplasty has been demonstrated to be a feasible choice for treating OCD of the knee, with the potential to relieve knee pain and facilitate return to sports. This report evaluated functional outcomes of the knee following arthroscopic mosaicplasty for the reconstruction of OCD. Method Two patients with OCD underwent reconstruction with arthroscopic mosaicplasty. Donor autograft was harvested from the nonweight‐bearing area of the ipsilateral knee and then implanted into the defect site. Preoperative and postoperative knee function was assessed using Tegner–Lysholm and IKDC scores. Result For Cases 1 and 2, mosaicplasty improved the Tegner–Lysholm score by 23 and 74 points and increased the IKDC score by 11.5% and 64.4%, respectively. No postoperative complications were recorded. Discussion The use of arthroscopic mosaicplasty is an efficient, single‐step procedure with minimal adverse events and quick recovery. Here, we demonstrated that mosaicplasty allows for immediate structural reconstruction of the defect site, superior biomechanical properties through direct hyaline cartilage, and subchondral bone implantation in extensive, high‐grade lesions according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) grading system classification for OCDs. The functional outcome 1 year following the procedure reveals excellent knee function and allows a patient to return to sports. Conclusion This case series highlights current challenges in the treatment of OCD and the availability of surgical options for its treatment. Our experience demonstrates that arthroscopic mosaicplasty produced excellent postoperative functional outcomes for the treatment of OCD, allowed for return to sports, and resulted in no significant complications.
Lubis et al. (Thu,) studied this question.