New knee cartilage repair technique shows promise in early trial
NCT ID NCT07641868
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two surgical methods for repairing damaged knee cartilage: the standard microfracture procedure and a newer technique called minced cartilage implantation (MCI). In MCI, a patient's own cartilage is chopped into tiny pieces and reimplanted with platelet-rich plasma to stimulate better healing. The trial will enroll 80 adults with focal cartilage lesions and measure repair quality via MRI at 24 months, along with pain and function scores.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Minced cartilage implantation (MCI) with platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
- What this could lead to
- If MCI works better than microfracture, it could offer a more effective surgical option for repairing knee cartilage and reducing pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage trial with only 80 participants, and results may not apply to everyone. MCI is a surgical procedure with typical risks like infection or incomplete healing.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female, aged over 18 years. * Patient who has signed an informed consent form. * Patient with focal cartilage lesions of the knee, classified as grade 4 on MRI according to the International Cartilage Repair Society classification (exposure of subchondral bone), regardless of size, and for which surgery is indicated. * Be affiliated with or a beneficiary of a social security scheme. Exclusion Criteria: * Revision knee surgery * Body Mass Index (BMI) \> 27 kg/m² * Joint space narrowing on standard radiographic examination * Refusal of consent * Patient unable to read, write, or understand French * Vulnerable patient according to Article L1121-6 of the French Public Health Code (CSP) * Adult patient under guardianship, curatorship, or legal protection * Patient unable to give Personally, their consent according to Article L.1121-8 of the French Public Health Code (CSP) or an adult protected by law * Pregnant or breastfeeding woman according to Article L1121-5 of the French Public Health Code (CSP) * Patient who has already participated in a study within the last 12 months * Patient already enrolled in another ongoing clinical trial
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Clinique Louis Pasteur - Louis Pasteur Santé Lorraine
Essey-lès-Nancy, Grand Est, 54270, France