*4.1.4 Surgical technique*

 This procedure is a two-stage technique in which an arthroscopic approach is performed to evaluate the lesion and second used to harvest a sample of normal articular cartilage from a non-weight-bearing region of the knee. Chondrocytes are then isolated, cultured, and seeded onto a hyaluronan-based scaffold or collagen. The chondrocytes are then cultured for 3–4 weeks until the volume increases by 30 times for implantation, the second stage of the procedure arthrotomy to implant the scaffold in the lesion site. The chondral defect is prepared and is then used to shape the scaffold, which is pressed into the lesion site and secured with a thin layer of fibrin glue. The graft is assessed for stability before the wound is closed.

The best postoperative rehabilitation protocols are those of 6 weeks, starting the first 2 weeks with a partial load of 20% of body weight, followed by a progressive increase to a full load at 6 weeks postoperatively [67–73].
