8th ICRS Summit — Joint Preservation: The Regenerative Era is Underway
Clinical Outcomes Following Ultrasound-Guided ChondroFiller Injection for Ankle Cartilage Defects
Clinical and Imaging Outcomes in Focal Talar Dome Lesions
Thirty ankles treated with ultrasound-guided ChondroFiller injection, without arthroscopy or incision. FAOS rose from 59.8 to 86.7 and activity pain fell from 6.7 to 2.1, with complete or nearly complete defect fill on 68% of follow-up MRIs.
Where and when
- Accepted
8th ICRS Summit — Joint Preservation: The Regenerative Era is Underway
International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Society
October 2026Porto, Portugal
Authors
- Tanvi Verma — First author, MSK Doctors, Sleaford; London Cartilage Clinic
- Paul Lee — Co-author, MSK Doctors, Sleaford; London Cartilage Clinic
- Selin Demirel — Co-author, Hacettepe University, Ankara
- Elif İrem Kılıç — Co-author, Hacettepe University, Ankara
- Ahmet Burak Çelik — Co-author, Hacettepe University, Ankara
- Feza Korkusuz — Co-author, Hacettepe University, Ankara
Themes
Scientific Focus
Cartilage defects commonly follow ankle sprain, fracture or repetitive microtrauma. Because articular cartilage heals poorly, these lesions can cause persistent pain, swelling and functional limitation, and may progress to early post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Existing restorative procedures require arthroscopic or open surgery and may involve graft harvest or staged treatment. This single-centre retrospective cohort covered 30 ankles in 29 adults treated with ultrasound-guided ChondroFiller injection over 24 months, requiring an MRI-confirmed focal talar dome defect, persistent symptoms despite at least three months of conservative management, and at least 12 months of follow-up. ChondroFiller was injected into the ankle joint under ultrasound guidance, targeted to the talar dome defect, where the collagen gel set in situ, with no arthroscopy, debridement or incision.
Why It Matters
FAOS improved from 59.8 to 86.7 and activity VAS pain fell from 6.7 to 2.1 (p < 0.001). Seventy-three per cent of patients were satisfied and 61% returned to activity, while follow-up MRI at a mean of 13.5 months showed complete or nearly complete defect fill in 68% of the 22 ankles imaged. No deep infections, reactions to the collagen gel or thromboembolic events were reported. The cohort is retrospective, single-centre and without a comparator, and MRI was available for 22 of the 30 ankles — larger comparative studies with longer follow-up are required to define durability and optimal indications.
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