Cartilage InjuryNCT06238947
Long-term Outcome Evaluation of Patients Undergoing Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation Delivered on Biomaterial
An observational study of Cartilage Injury and Cartilage Disease, run by Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli.
Trial summary
Chondro-Long study is prospective observational study for a long-term clinical evaluation (follow-up up to 25 years) in patients treated with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial for full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III - IV) at the level of femoral condyles, trochlea… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 14 to 60 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Cartilage Injury, Cartilage Disease
- How many people
- 200 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Sep 2026to Feb 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 14 to 60 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Study population: Patients treated with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial (Hyalograft C, Fidia, Abano Terme ) for full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III to IV) at the level of femoral condyles, trochlea, patella, and tibial plateau
Who may be able to join
- Patients who underwent autologous chondrocyte transplantation surgery delivered on biomaterial (Hyalograft C) from 1999 to 2006 at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute who met the following criteria at the time of surgery:
- Full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III - IV) and osteochondral defects at the femoral condyles, trochlea, patella and tibial plateau.
- Patients aged between 14 and 60 years at the time of surgery.
- Male and female sex.
Who cannot join
- Patients no longer available
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: LONG-TERM EVALUATION OF OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING AUTOLOGOUS CHONDROCYTE TRANSPLANTATION DELIVERED ON BIOMATERIAL (HYALOGRAFT C) Prospective Observational Study
Chondro-Long study is prospective observational study for a long-term clinical evaluation (follow-up up to 25 years) in patients treated with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial for full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III - IV) at the level of femoral condyles, trochlea, patella and tibial plateau.
The aim of the study is to collect long-term clinical data from the case series of patients surgically treated from 1999 to 2006 with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial for full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III - IV) or osteochondral defects at the level of femoral condyles, trochlea, patella, and tibial plateau. The objective of the study is to demonstrate the efficacy of this long-term cartilage regeneration technique (follow-up up to 25 years) in improving patient symptomatology and functional capacity
Read the detailed description
Patients will be recruited from all subjects surgically treated with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial for chondral/osteochondral lesions at the femoral condyles, trochlea, patella, and tibial plateau from 1999 to 2006 at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute. The study has 3 phases: Identification of includable patients, Follow-up assessment byTelemedicine platform, and the collection of study-specific clinical data of enrolled patients.
Clinical score data will be collected from the medical records and questionnaires conducted in the mid-term of patients enrolled in the study. These data will be used, together with data collected by telemedicine/long-term e-mail questionnaire, to evaluate the time course of outcomes after surgical treatment with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial
- Conditions
- Cartilage Injury, Cartilage Disease
- Keywords
- autologous chondrocyte transplantation, osteochondral defects
- Medical subject headings
- Cartilage Diseases
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (IKDC)-Subjective Knee Evaluation Form
This is a subjective, knee-specific rating scale that is considered one of the most reliable assessment tools in the evaluation of knee pathology. The questionnaire examines 3 categories: symptoms, sports activity, and knee function. According to this questionnaire, a score between 0 and 100 can be obtained, where a high score is associated with a high level of function and minor pain symptoms. A score of 100 is in fact interpreted as a condition in which there are neither limitations in conducting activities of daily living nor symptoms
Measured: baseline
EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS )
This is a visual analog scale that has a range of scores from 0 (worst imaginable health condition) to 100 (best imaginable health condition).
Measured: baseline
Tegner Score
This questionnaire allows the estimation of a subject's motor activity level with a score between 0 and 10, where 0 represents 'inability' and 10 represents 'participation in competitive sports, such as soccer at the national or international level. This score is the one most commonly used to define the motor activity level of patients with knee disorders. In the study, the Tegner Score will be filled in directly by the investigator, through an interview the patient. In addition, questions will also be asked about return to sports and pre-injury, pre-treatment and recovered/achieved sports level .
Measured: baseline
EQ-5D (EuroQoL) Current Health Assessment
EQ-5D is a standardized measure of health-related quality of life developed by the EuroQol Group to provide a simple generic questionnaire for use in clinical and economic evaluation and population health surveys
Measured: baseline
MCD/MCID (Minimal Clinically Important Difference):
the patient should indicate satisfaction and relative degree of improvement for the treatment performed
Measured: baseline
Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS)
A tool to assess patient satisfaction in consideration of their current degree of pain, function, and daily activity. Patients can express if their state of health will be satisfying, answering "yes" or "no.
Measured: baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted2 Feb 2024
- Study startSep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionFeb 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionFeb 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (10)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Cartilage InjuryStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Istituto Ortopedico RizzoliThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Stefano Zaffagnini, MD, Principal investigator, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli - II Clinica Ortopedica e Traumatologica
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06238947
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Chondro-Long
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Jan 2024
- Last updated
- 1 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Anderson AF, Irrgang JJ, Kocher MS, Mann BJ, Harrast JJ; International Knee Documentation Committee. The International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Evaluation Form: normative data. Am J Sports Med. 2006 Jan;34(1):128-35. doi: 10.1177/0363546505280214. Epub 2005 Oct 11.
PubMed 16219941Aroen A, Loken S, Heir S, Alvik E, Ekeland A, Granlund OG, Engebretsen L. Articular cartilage lesions in 993 consecutive knee arthroscopies. Am J Sports Med. 2004 Jan-Feb;32(1):211-5. doi: 10.1177/0363546503259345.
PubMed 14754746Bauer S, Khan RJ, Ebert JR, Robertson WB, Breidahl W, Ackland TR, Wood DJ. Knee joint preservation with combined neutralising high tibial osteotomy (HTO) and Matrix-induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (MACI) in younger patients with medial knee osteoarthritis: a case series with prospective clinical and MRI follow-up over 5 years. Knee. 2012 Aug;19(4):431-9. doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2011.06.005. Epub 2011 Jul 22.
PubMed 21782452Behrens P, Bitter T, Kurz B, Russlies M. Matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation/implantation (MACT/MACI)--5-year follow-up. Knee. 2006 Jun;13(3):194-202. doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2006.02.012. Epub 2006 Apr 24.
PubMed 16632362Della Villa S, Kon E, Filardo G, Ricci M, Vincentelli F, Delcogliano M, Marcacci M. Does intensive rehabilitation permit early return to sport without compromising the clinical outcome after arthroscopic autologous chondrocyte implantation in highly competitive athletes? Am J Sports Med. 2010 Jan;38(1):68-77. doi: 10.1177/0363546509348490.
PubMed 20051508de Windt TS, Bekkers JE, Creemers LB, Dhert WJ, Saris DB. Patient profiling in cartilage regeneration: prognostic factors determining success of treatment for cartilage defects. Am J Sports Med. 2009 Nov;37 Suppl 1:58S-62S. doi: 10.1177/0363546509349765.
PubMed 19934438Ebert JR, Robertson WB, Woodhouse J, Fallon M, Zheng MH, Ackland T, Wood DJ. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging-based outcomes to 5 years after matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation to address articular cartilage defects in the knee. Am J Sports Med. 2011 Apr;39(4):753-63. doi: 10.1177/0363546510390476. Epub 2011 Jan 21.
PubMed 21257846Ferruzzi A, Buda R, Faldini C, Vannini F, Di Caprio F, Luciani D, Giannini S. Autologous chondrocyte implantation in the knee joint: open compared with arthroscopic technique. Comparison at a minimum follow-up of five years. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2008 Nov;90 Suppl 4:90-101. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.H.00633. No abstract available.
PubMed 18984722Filardo G, Kon E, Andriolo L, Vannini F, Buda R, Ferruzzi A, Giannini S, Marcacci M. Does patient sex influence cartilage surgery outcome? Analysis of results at 5-year follow-up in a large cohort of patients treated with Matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte transplantation. Am J Sports Med. 2013 Aug;41(8):1827-34. doi: 10.1177/0363546513480780. Epub 2013 Jul 15.
PubMed 23857885Andriolo L, Reale D, Di Martino A, De Filippis R, Sessa A, Zaffagnini S, Filardo G. Long-term Results of Arthroscopic Matrix-Assisted Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation: A Prospective Follow-up at 15 Years. Am J Sports Med. 2020 Oct;48(12):2994-3001. doi: 10.1177/0363546520949849. Epub 2020 Sep 16.
PubMed 32936677
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- LONG-TERM EVALUATION OF OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING AUTOLOGOUS CHONDROCYTE TRANSPLANTATION DELIVERED ON BIOMATERIAL (HYALOGRAFT C) Prospective Observational Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06238947
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Chondro-Long
- Conditions
- Cartilage Injury, Cartilage Disease
- Keywords
- autologous chondrocyte transplantation, osteochondral defects
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Istituto Ortopedico RizzoliUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Feb 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Feb 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 2 Feb 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Chondro-Long study is prospective observational study for a long-term clinical evaluation (follow-up up to 25 years) in patients treated with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial for full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III - IV) at the level of femoral condyles, trochlea, patella and tibial plateau.
The aim of the study is to collect long-term clinical data from the case series of patients surgically treated from 1999 to 2006 with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial for full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III - IV) or osteochondral defects at the level of femoral condyles, trochlea, patella, and tibial plateau. The objective of the study is to demonstrate the efficacy of this long-term cartilage regeneration technique (follow-up up to 25 years) in improving patient symptomatology and functional capacity
Detailed description
Patients will be recruited from all subjects surgically treated with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial for chondral/osteochondral lesions at the femoral condyles, trochlea, patella, and tibial plateau from 1999 to 2006 at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute. The study has 3 phases: Identification of includable patients, Follow-up assessment byTelemedicine platform, and the collection of study-specific clinical data of enrolled patients.
Clinical score data will be collected from the medical records and questionnaires conducted in the mid-term of patients enrolled in the study. These data will be used, together with data collected by telemedicine/long-term e-mail questionnaire, to evaluate the time course of outcomes after surgical treatment with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 14 to 60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
- Study population
- Patients treated with autologous chondrocyte transplantation delivered on biomaterial (Hyalograft C, Fidia, Abano Terme ) for full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III to IV) at the level of femoral condyles, trochlea, patella, and tibial plateau
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Patients who underwent autologous chondrocyte transplantation surgery delivered on biomaterial (Hyalograft C) from 1999 to 2006 at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute who met the following criteria at the time of surgery:
- Full-thickness chondral defects (Outerbridge grade III - IV) and osteochondral defects at the femoral condyles, trochlea, patella and tibial plateau.
- Patients aged between 14 and 60 years at the time of surgery.
- Male and female sex.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Patients no longer available
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (IKDC)-Subjective Knee Evaluation Form
Time frame: baseline
This is a subjective, knee-specific rating scale that is considered one of the most reliable assessment tools in the evaluation of knee pathology. The questionnaire examines 3 categories: symptoms, sports activity, and knee function. According to this questionnaire, a score between 0 and 100 can be obtained, where a high score is associated with a high level of function and minor pain symptoms. A score of 100 is in fact interpreted as a condition in which there are neither limitations in conducting activities of daily living nor symptoms
EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS )
Time frame: baseline
This is a visual analog scale that has a range of scores from 0 (worst imaginable health condition) to 100 (best imaginable health condition).
Tegner Score
Time frame: baseline
This questionnaire allows the estimation of a subject's motor activity level with a score between 0 and 10, where 0 represents 'inability' and 10 represents 'participation in competitive sports, such as soccer at the national or international level. This score is the one most commonly used to define the motor activity level of patients with knee disorders. In the study, the Tegner Score will be filled in directly by the investigator, through an interview the patient. In addition, questions will also be asked about return to sports and pre-injury, pre-treatment and recovered/achieved sports level .
EQ-5D (EuroQoL) Current Health Assessment
Time frame: baseline
EQ-5D is a standardized measure of health-related quality of life developed by the EuroQol Group to provide a simple generic questionnaire for use in clinical and economic evaluation and population health surveys
MCD/MCID (Minimal Clinically Important Difference):
Time frame: baseline
the patient should indicate satisfaction and relative degree of improvement for the treatment performed
Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS)
Time frame: baseline
A tool to assess patient satisfaction in consideration of their current degree of pain, function, and daily activity. Patients can express if their state of health will be satisfying, answering "yes" or "no.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Jul 2026.
- Background: PubMed 16219941Anderson AF, Irrgang JJ, Kocher MS, Mann BJ, Harrast JJ; International Knee Documentation Committee. The International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Evaluation Form: normative data. Am J Sports Med. 2006 Jan;34(1):128-35. doi: 10.1177/0363546505280214. Epub 2005 Oct 11.
- Background: PubMed 14754746Aroen A, Loken S, Heir S, Alvik E, Ekeland A, Granlund OG, Engebretsen L. Articular cartilage lesions in 993 consecutive knee arthroscopies. Am J Sports Med. 2004 Jan-Feb;32(1):211-5. doi: 10.1177/0363546503259345.
- Background: PubMed 21782452Bauer S, Khan RJ, Ebert JR, Robertson WB, Breidahl W, Ackland TR, Wood DJ. Knee joint preservation with combined neutralising high tibial osteotomy (HTO) and Matrix-induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (MACI) in younger patients with medial knee osteoarthritis: a case series with prospective clinical and MRI follow-up over 5 years. Knee. 2012 Aug;19(4):431-9. doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2011.06.005. Epub 2011 Jul 22.
- Background: PubMed 16632362Behrens P, Bitter T, Kurz B, Russlies M. Matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation/implantation (MACT/MACI)--5-year follow-up. Knee. 2006 Jun;13(3):194-202. doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2006.02.012. Epub 2006 Apr 24.
- Background: PubMed 20051508Della Villa S, Kon E, Filardo G, Ricci M, Vincentelli F, Delcogliano M, Marcacci M. Does intensive rehabilitation permit early return to sport without compromising the clinical outcome after arthroscopic autologous chondrocyte implantation in highly competitive athletes? Am J Sports Med. 2010 Jan;38(1):68-77. doi: 10.1177/0363546509348490.
- Background: PubMed 19934438de Windt TS, Bekkers JE, Creemers LB, Dhert WJ, Saris DB. Patient profiling in cartilage regeneration: prognostic factors determining success of treatment for cartilage defects. Am J Sports Med. 2009 Nov;37 Suppl 1:58S-62S. doi: 10.1177/0363546509349765.
- Background: PubMed 21257846Ebert JR, Robertson WB, Woodhouse J, Fallon M, Zheng MH, Ackland T, Wood DJ. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging-based outcomes to 5 years after matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation to address articular cartilage defects in the knee. Am J Sports Med. 2011 Apr;39(4):753-63. doi: 10.1177/0363546510390476. Epub 2011 Jan 21.
- Background: PubMed 18984722Ferruzzi A, Buda R, Faldini C, Vannini F, Di Caprio F, Luciani D, Giannini S. Autologous chondrocyte implantation in the knee joint: open compared with arthroscopic technique. Comparison at a minimum follow-up of five years. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2008 Nov;90 Suppl 4:90-101. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.H.00633. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 23857885Filardo G, Kon E, Andriolo L, Vannini F, Buda R, Ferruzzi A, Giannini S, Marcacci M. Does patient sex influence cartilage surgery outcome? Analysis of results at 5-year follow-up in a large cohort of patients treated with Matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte transplantation. Am J Sports Med. 2013 Aug;41(8):1827-34. doi: 10.1177/0363546513480780. Epub 2013 Jul 15.
- Background: PubMed 32936677Andriolo L, Reale D, Di Martino A, De Filippis R, Sessa A, Zaffagnini S, Filardo G. Long-term Results of Arthroscopic Matrix-Assisted Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation: A Prospective Follow-up at 15 Years. Am J Sports Med. 2020 Oct;48(12):2994-3001. doi: 10.1177/0363546520949849. Epub 2020 Sep 16.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Stefano Zaffagnini, MD principal investigator
Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli - II Clinica Ortopedica e Traumatologica
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Cartilage Injury and Cartilage Disease, run by Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Stefano Zaffagnini, MD (0516366567, stefano.zaffagnini@ior.it), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (IKDC)-Subjective Knee Evaluation Form (time frame: baseline). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06238947, which also lists 10 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Jul 2026.