Osteochondral Allografts in Shoulder Surgical Procedures.

ABSTRACT

The use of fresh osteochondral allografts has become popular in many joint-preserving orthopaedic procedures and shows early promising results within the shoulder. Distal tibial allograft contains a stout cartilaginous layer that appears to have highly congruent curvature and concavity to the glenoid, which makes for an optimal allograft option for instability. In the setting of large Hill-Sachs lesions, the use of a humeral-head osteochondral allograft is essential to restore geometry, stability, and mechanics of the native glenohumeral joint. One must be cautious with the treatment of glenoid chondral lesions with osteoarticular grafting procedures because of the depth of the glenoid compared with the depth of subchondral bone on the graft necessary to achieve a press fit, and advanced imaging is recommended when planning an operative intervention. Optimizing joint-preservation treatment with osteochondral allografts will rely on the long-term results of these procedures, and careful patient selection, preoperative discussion, and realistic expectations are necessary.