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Articular cartilage defects of the knee present diagnostic and treatment challenges for orthopaedic surgeons. As new data and technologies become available, treatment algorithms are continually being refined. It is important to examine treatment recommendations from the current literature and understand surgical techniques for articular cartilage repair.

The repair integrity of rotator cuff tears, which are a common disorder, is influenced by many biologic, environmental, and surgical factors. Surgery for rotator cuff repairs has evolved significantly over the past decade. The technical goals of rotator cuff repair include achieving high initial fixation strength, minimizing gap formation, and maintaining mechanical stability until biologic healing occurs. A variety of surgical techniques have been established to capitalize on certain aspects of these tenets and have been shown to provide biomechanical and biologic benefits; however, overall clinical outcomes may be dependent on certain tear characteristics. It is important for orthopaedic surgeons to be familiar with the natural history of rotator cuff disease to understand the various repair strategies and techniques and the outcomes associated with these procedures.