A femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is an abnormal contact between pelvis and the neck of femur. It occurs particularly when patient bends his hip and causes damage to the cartilage. In the long term, FAI can lead to the development of osteoarthritis (cartilage destruction) and may require a total hip replacement (THR).
Surgery to treat cartilage damage in the hip aims to maintain joint function and delay the onset of osteoarthritis. Microfracture remains the most commonly used treatment for cartilage lesions. It is a surgical technique for repairing articular cartilage that works by creating tiny fractures in the bone, which in turn stimulate the growth of new cartilage.
Cartilage autografting is a promising alternative to microfracture, offering good results in the knee joint. Cartilage autografting involves the use of autologous cartilage tissue (taken from patient body), which is harvested, ground up and reimplanted in a single surgical procedure to promote the growth of new cartilage and repair.
The published literature lacks large-scale studies comparing autologous cartilage transplantation with traditional joint-preserving surgeries, such as microfracture. This is the reason why this study is set up.
Patient, male or female, aged 18-50 years old;
Patient with an acetabular chondral lesion due to FAI, characterised as Beck class 4 or 5, measuring 1-6 cm2;
Patient with Tönnis grade 0-2;
Patient who signed the informed consent form and is willing to comply with the protocol requirements based on the investigator's judgment;
Patient with prior ipsilateral hip surgery;
Patient with borderline or frank hip dysplasia (lateral centre edge angle <25º);
Patient with hyperlaxity (Beighton score >7);
Patient with any concomitant disease or disorder which, in the opinion of the investigator, may put the patient at risk or may influence the result of the study;