Abstract
BACKGROUND Talus osteochondral injury is a common and often chronic condition characterized by pain in the ankle joint. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate outcomes from periosteal-iliac bone autografting combined with intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in treatment for Hepple V osteochondral lesions of the talus. MATERIAL AND METHODS The clinical data of 63 patients with Hepple type V talar osteochondral lesions who underwent periosteum-iliac bone autograft in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into a control group (n=33) and observation group (PRP, n=30) based on whether intra-articular PRP injection was performed during surgery. Visual analog scale scores for pain, SF-36 quality of life scale scores, range of motion of the joint, and occurrence of complications were evaluated. Functional recovery was evaluated using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scoring system. RESULTS No soft tissue complications, including wound infection or skin necrosis, occurred in any of the patients after surgery. The observation group had significantly better range of motion, visual analog scale pain scores at rest, walking, and running, and SF-36 quality of life scores than the control group (all P<0.05). The AOFAS score of the observation group was slightly better than that of the control group, although there was no statistically significant difference (91.2 vs 88.6, P=0.12). CONCLUSIONS For Hepple V osteochondral lesions of the talus, periosteum-iliac bone autografting combined with intra-articular PRP can repair cartilage defects, relieve pain, and improve joint function, demonstrating it is a safe and effective alternative.