The Knee Learning Resource
A surgical process where the joint cartilage is drilled.
Subchondral drilling is a surgical technique, no longer popular, where the surgeon uses a high-speed drill to drill down through a defect in the joint surface and into the underlying bone, in order to allow the release of blood and bone marrow cells which have the potential to form a protective 'fibrocartilage' layer over the defect.
Because the high speed drill can cause heating of the bone, and consequent damage, the procedure has largely been replaced with less damaging techniques such as microfracture.
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