Articular cartilage lesions are a common pathology of the knee joint, and many patients may benefit from cartilage repair surgeries that offer the chance to avoid the development of osteoarthritis or delay its progression. Cartilage repair surgery, no matter the technique, requires a noninvasive, standardized, and high-quality longitudinal method to assess the structure of the repair tissue. This goal is best fulfilled by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The present article provides an overview of the current state of the art of MRI of cartilage repair. In the first 2 sections, preclinical and clinical MRI of cartilage repair tissue are described with a focus on morphological depiction of cartilage and the use of functional (biochemical) MR methodologies for the visualization of the ultrastructure of cartilage repair. In the third section, a short overview is provided on the regulatory issues of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) regarding MR follow-up studies of patients after cartilage repair surgeries.

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This manuscript summarizes the recommendations of the members of the German clinical tissue regeneration study group on postsurgical rehabilitation and MRI assessment after ACI (level IVb/EBM).

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AbbreviationsADLs: activities of daily life FWB: full weight-bearing NWB: non-weight-bearing PWB: partial weight-bearing TWB: touch weight-bearing It is generally accepted that rehabilitation is a critical factor in the outcome of MACT and that, in order to maximise the benefits of MACT, it is essential for the patients to adhere to an MACTspecific rehabilitation programme [1,11].The aims of the rehabilitation after MACT are to ensure an optimal graft healing by local adaptation and remodelling of the repair and to return the patient to an optimal level of function. AbstractMatrix-associated chondrocyte transplantation (MACT), an advancement of the classical autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT), is a tissue engineering technique for the treatment of full thickness articular defects and requires the use of a cell-scaffold construct which is implanted in the debrided cartilage defect. To achieve both good objective and subjective results and to maximise the benefits of MACT, patients have to adhere to an MACT-specific rehabilitation programme. The aims of the rehabilitation after MACT are to ensure an optimal graft healing by local adaptation and remodelling of the repair and to return the patient to an optimal level of function. It is a challenge to optimise the achievement of these two controversial goals -graft protection and return to function -within rehabilitation. The three main components of the individualised and progressive, yet safe, rehabilitation programme are: progressive weight bearing, restoration of range of motion (ROM) and enhancement of muscle control and strengthening. The modalities of the three main components, that are progressive weight bearing, restoration of ROM and enhancement of muscle control and strengthening, are based on the physiology of cartilage, the biomechanics of the knee and the biology of the graft.