Is debridement beneficial for focal cartilage defects of the knee: data from the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU).

An overall benefit of arthroscopic debridement for focal cartilage lesions of the knee could be conducted. Isolated cartilage defects seem to benefit from debridement irrespectively of size. In patients with large cartilage defects (> 2 cm2) and concurrent meniscal pathology expectation to improvement should be humbled. Effective reduction of pain by arthroscopic debridement remains unclear.