Oats Technique For Osteocartilaginal Defects Of The Ankle

If the articular cartilage defect is located deep in the medial area of the talar dome, involving bone lesions, then the surgical technique is the Autologous Osteochondral transplant.

This technique includes the transplantation of an osteochondral cylinder, taken from an area that is not overused, to the lesion area.

The advantages of the technique consist in the possibility of performing in a single operative time, even if there are lesions of the subchondral bone (osteochondritis, degenerative lesions), they are low cost, slower recovery time compared to the autologous chondrocyte implant. The disadvantages of the method consist mainly in adverse effects related to the donor area and the limitation of the surface that can be covered due to the limitation of the area where cylinders can be harvested.

Postoperatively

After the intervention, the patient remains hospitalized for 1 day. He will receive pain medication and antibiotics during his hospitalization. The operated limb is immobilized, and the patient is advised not to make ankle movements for two days. Free walking is not allowed immediately, the crutches being necessary, even if the chosen intervention was minimally invasive. 

Patients will wear a compressive bandage on the foot for 5 days. Patients can return to daily activities quickly, up to 3-4 weeks, if they have office work, and 10-12 weeks, if they have fieldwork.

At home

Although recovery after this operation is much faster than a classic intervention, it will still take a few weeks for you to fully recover the operated joint. You should expect pain and discomfort for at least a week postoperatively. You can use a special ice pack, which will reduce the pain and inflammation. You must be careful not to lean on the operated area in the first weeks because the pain and discomfort can worsen. You can take a bath, but without wetting the bandage and incisions. The threads are suppressed at 14 days postoperatively.

At 3 months postoperatively, an MRI is necessary to see how the tendon suture heals. Driving is allowed after 6-8 weeks and hard physical work after 10 weeks.

Physical therapy plays a very important role in the rehabilitation program, and the exercises must be followed by a physical therapist until the end of the recovery period.

It is very important to follow the recovery program strictly and seriously for the surgery to be a success. Our medical team works on average with the patient after this intervention, 12-16 weeks until complete recovery of the operated area.

Following any surgery, medical recovery plays an essential role in the social, professional, and family reintegration of the patient. Because we pursue the optimal outcome for each patient entering the clinic, recovery medicine from Centrokinetic is based on a team of experienced physicians and physical therapists and standardized medical protocols.