Outcome of arthroscopic debridement and microfracture as the primary treatment for osteochondral lesions of the talar dome.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review was to determine patient outcomes after arthroscopic debridement and microfracture for osteochondral lesions (OCLs) of the talar dome.

METHODS: Infotrieve-PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar were systematically searched for the following terms: microfracture AND ankle OR talus. In addition, we hand-searched common American and European orthopaedic and podiatric surgical journals for relevant manuscripts. Articles considered for inclusion were published in peer-reviewed journals, used the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society hindfoot scoring system for outcome measurement, and involved arthroscopic debridement and microfracture for OCL of the talar dome.

RESULTS: We identified 29 potentially relevant publications, of which 7 met our inclusion criteria. A total of 295 patients (299 ankles) were included in this study. The weighted mean postoperative American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society hindfoot score was 86.8 points, translating to good to excellent outcomes in 80.2% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Many techniques exist for the treatment of OCLs of the talar dome. Good to excellent results can be consistently reached in greater than 80% of patients with arthroscopic debridement and microfracture. However, additional prospective trials should be undertaken to determine differences in outcome between techniques, size and location of the OCL, and other patient quality factors, such as cost and time to return to work.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level II, III, and IV studies.