This classic discusses the original publication "A method of resurfacing osteoarthritic knee joints" by Dr K.H. Pridie (1959), where this pioneer surgeon described a newly developed method for the treatment of osteoarthritic joint surfaces of the knee, which he named subchondral drilling. This short and concise 11-line publication appeared in the Proceedings of the Congress of the British Orthopaedic Association. It has generated 464 citations since 1959, becoming part of the hundred most-cited publications in knee research. Pridie introduced in clinical experimentation the entity of Marrow Stimulation Techniques to liberate mesenchymal stem cells from cancellous bone. He was aware that the results induced, in terms of quality of the regrown tissue, was limited and "only" fibrocartilage. His idea might have been raised from the work of numerous animal researchers who confirmed repeatedly since 1905 that cartilage needed an osseous perforation to heal. Although the past 60 years brought modifications from the technique described in the original article, the concept of marrow stimulation introduced by Pridie remains the most frequently used in cartilage repair surgery today.
Keywords: Fibrocartilage; Knee; Marrow stimulation; Microfracture; Subchondral drilling.
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