Topographic matching of selected donor and recipient sites for osteochondral autografting of the articular surface of the femoral condyles

The purpose of this study was to define the topography of the articular sur face of the femoral condyles and to develop a method for computerized topog raphic matching of donor and recipient sites for osteochondral transplantat ion. The condyles of seven fresh cadaveric femurs were mounted on the rotat ing stage of a laser-based coordinate measuring machine. An anatomic coordi nate system defining the articular surface of the condyles was created. Cus tomized software was developed to allow selection and topographic matching of osteochondral graft donor and recipient sites from any location on the s urface of the condyles. For cartilage defects within the weightbearing port ions of the medial or lateral femoral condyles, grafts taken from sites fro m the most medial or lateral portions of the patellar groove provided a sig nificantly better topographic match than did grafts taken from the central intercondylar notch.