Study of MACI for Ankle Cartilage Defects

This study is testing two treatments for painful cartilage or bone and cartilage (osteochondral) defects in the ankle bone (talus). Researchers want to see if MACI (autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane) works better than Bone Marrow Stimulation. MACI uses your own cartilage cells grown on a special membrane, while Bone Marrow Stimulation involves making small holes in the bone to encourage healing. You might be able to join if you are 17 to 65 years old and have painful ankle cartilage defects. The main goal is to see how much your pain and ankle function improve over 104 weeks (about two years) with each treatment. The study is currently recruiting participants.

Study design
This is a 2-year study with 309 participants, aged 17 to 65, who will be randomly assigned to receive either MACI or Bone Marrow Stimulation. It is an open-label study, meaning both you and your doctor will know which treatment you receive.
What's involved
You will have an initial screening visit, followed by an ankle arthroscopy (a type of surgery) within 8 weeks to check your eligibility and take a cartilage biopsy. If eligible, you will receive one treatment and follow a recommended rehabilitation program.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed for 104 weeks (about two years) after treatment to assess changes in pain and function.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06915233

A Study of MACI in Patients Aged 17 to 65 Years With Symptomatic Chondral or Osteochondral Defects of the Ankle

Recruiting
PHASE3Ages 17–65InterventionalTreatment
Vericel Corporation
~309 participants
Updated 2026-07-23 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membraneBone Marrow Stimulation

At a glance

Recruiting sites
7 of 7 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change from Baseline to Week 104 in the FAOS Pain and Function (SRA) subscale scores
Measured over Baseline to Week 104
Chondral Defect
Articular Cartilage Defect

NCT06915233

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 7 sites. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Duke Orthopaedic Surgery

    Durham, North Carolinastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

  • Elevate Clinical Research

    Houston, Texasstudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

  • Elevate Clinical Research Wichita

    Wichita, Kansasstudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

  • MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

    Washington D.C., District of Columbiastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

  • Rodaro, LLC

    San Antonio, Texasstudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

  • UC Davis Foot and Ankle Clinic

    Sacramento, Californiastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

  • University of Virginia

    Charlottesville, Virginiastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

  • Jonathan Hopper BSc (Hons), MB ChB, FRCSEd, DIMC RCSEd., MBA, BSc (Hons), MB · STUDY_CHAIR · Vericel Corporation

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  • Change from Baseline to Week 104 in the FAOS Pain and Function (SRA) subscale scoresBaseline to Week 104

    The FAOS is a 42-item, patient-reported outcome measure that assesses foot and ankle health in the past week. There are five FAOS subscales: Pain, Symptoms, Function (Daily Living), Function (SRA), and Foot and Ankle Related Quality of Life. The FAOS has been validated for a variety of foot and ankle conditions, including OLT. Responses to each question on the FAOS are recorded on a 5-point Likert scale. A normalized score out of 100 is calculated for each subscale, with 0 indicating extreme symptoms and 100 no symptoms. Selection of this composite primary endpoint is consistent with FDA guidance recommending selection of primary endpoints that evaluate changes in Pain and Function (SRA) subscale scores as they represent clinically meaningful outcomes for participants who receive products intended to repair or replace damaged cartilage in the knee.