Treatment of knee cartilage lesions in 2024: From hyaluronic acid to regenerative medicine

Abstract Intact articular cartilage plays a vital role in joint homeostasis. Local cartilage repairs, where defects in the cartilage matrix are filled in and sealed to congruity, are therefore important treatments to restore a joint equilibrium. The base for all cartilage repairs is the cells; either chondrocytes or chondrogeneic cells from bone, synovia and fat tissue. The surgical options include bone marrow stimulation techniques alone or augmented with scaffolds, chondrogeneic cell implantations and osteochondral auto‐ or allografts. The current trend is to choose one‐stage procedures being easier to use from a regulatory point of view. This narrative review provides an overview of the current nonoperative and surgical options available for the repair of various cartilage lesions. Level of Evidence Level IV.