Abstract:Objective To investigate the effectiveness of the nanostructured microdrilling and osteochondral autograft transfer system (OATS) procedure combined with autologous adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) in repairing large full-thickness cartilage defects of the knee.Methods We retrospectively analyzed 100 patients with large full-thickness cartilage defects of the knee admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to June 2023, and divided them into the control group (48 cases) and the observation group (52 cases) according to the treatment method. The control group was treated with nanostructured microdrilling and the OATS procedure, while the observation group was additionally treated with ACI and ADSCs to promote the repairing. All patients were followed up for 1 year, and the knee pain severity, knee joint function, quality of life, and adverse events were compared between the two groups.Results The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale scores at rest in the observation group and the control group were compared at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after operation, which exhibited that they were different across the time points (P < 0.05) and between the groups (P < 0.05), with lower VAS scores and higher IKDC and Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale scores in the observation group. The change trends of these scores were different between the two groups (P < 0.05). Comparison of 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores in the observation group and the control group before and 3 and 6 months after operation showed that they were different across the time points (P < 0.05) and between the groups (P < 0.05), with higher SF-36 scores in the observation group. The change trend of the SF-36 scores was also different between the two groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of adverse reactions between the observation group and the control group (P > 0.05).Conclusion The nanostructured microdrilling and OATS combined with ACI and ADSCs for repairing large full-thickness cartilage defects of the knee can reduce postoperative pain, accelerate the recovery of knee function, and improve patients' quality of life with a high safety profile.