OUTBACK Trial: Treating Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus

PROJECT PARTNERS

· Academic Center for Evidence based Sports medicine (ACES)

· Oklahoma Medical Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

· Flevoziekenhuis, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

· Amphia Hospital, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

· Sanquin, Diagnostic Services, Research Department

· Amsterdam UMC, Location VUmc, VU Department of Public and Occupational Health

FUNDING

· Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Amsterdam UMC

· Foundation Friends of Aces

BACKGROUND

Small osteochondral lesions of the talus that undergo bone marrow stimulation show 75% success rate on the mid- to long-term. In order to increase this success rate, bone marrow aspirate concentrate in addition to the bone marrow stimulation may be beneficial. However, no randomized, blinded study has ever proven this.

OBJECTIVES

There are multiple objectives. The main objective of the present study is to compare the clinical outcome of bone marrow stimulation alone versus bone marrow stimulation and bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) for small osteochondral lesions of the talus at 2 years follow-up. Other objectives are to study the cost-effectiveness of the study, the sport and work-outcomes of the trial, and to study the radiological outcomes as well as cell characteristics.