This study illustrates the validity and reliability of the KOOS in measuring the clinical condition of patients after treatment of focal cartilage lesions. This study provides a basis for the use of the KOOS for future clinical research in cartilage repair.

Lesion size, activity level, and patient age are factors that should be considered in selecting treatment of articular cartilage lesions of the knee. In addition, these factors are a step toward evidence-based, instead of surgeon-preferred, treatment of articular cartilage lesions of the knee.

This study illustrates the influence of patient age and defect location and age on clinical outcome 3 years after treatment of a focal cartilage lesion in patients with a traumatic knee injury.

the new histological classification for IVD degeneration is a valid instrument for evaluating IVD degeneration in human IVD sections and is suitable for inexperienced and experienced researchers.

This study describes the bench-to-preclinical development of a new cell-based regenerative treatment for focal articular cartilage defects that outperforms microfracture in goats. In addition, it is a single-step procedure, thereby making the expensive cell expansion and reimplantation of dedifferentiated cells, as in ACI, redundant.