Armando Vidal, MD, of the University of Colorado Hospital Lone Tree Surgery Center became the first surgeon in the state to treat a patient with the Cartiform from Arthrex cartilage graft for ACL repair, according to a local ABC 7 report.
Here are five key notes on the procedure:
1. The Cartiform Viable Osteochondral Allograft includes viable chondrocytes, chondrogenic growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins.
2. Cartiform is trimmable and flexible to match the patient's lesion size and contour.
3. The technology has a two-year shelf life when stored at -80 degrees C.
4. The bony part of Cartiform is reduced and the graft is porated but the device still maintains the intact cartilage structure.
5. The patient had this procedure more than four months ago and reports feeling "better than after [his] first ACL [surgery]."