2026 AOSSM Annual Meeting: Impact of Osteoarthritis on Outcomes After Implantation of An Aragonite-Based Scaffold For Knee Chondral and Osteochondral Defects

251 patients with up to 3 International Cartilage Repair Society grade 3a lesions of the femoral condyles and/or trochlea were randomized to receive an aragonite-based scaffold or surgical standard of care with debridement or microfracture. The primary outcome of interest was change in the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Overall Score from baseline to 60 months. Secondary outcomes included changes in the KOOS Pain, Symptoms, Quality of Life, Activities of Daily Living, and Sports subscales, as well as the KOOS responder rate. Outcomes were assessed through 60 months and analyzed according to no-to-minimal versus mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis. Overall, the results revealed that the scaffold produced substantially greater KOOS improvements and higher responder rates than standard care in both osteoarthritis subgroups. The similar treatment benefit across osteoarthritis grades suggests that mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis did not diminish the scaffold’s effectiveness.