FAI September 2025 Podcast: Immediate Postoperative Weightbearing Following Arthroscopic Bone Marrow Stimulation for Talar Osteochondral Lesions: A Matched Cohort Study

Bone marrow stimulation (BMS) is the most frequently performed surgical procedure for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs). After the surgical intervention, one of the first goals of rehabilitation is to resume weightbearing. This study aims to compare clinical and radiologic outcomes between immediate weightbearing and delayed weightbearing, which represent unrestricted weightbearing and weightbearing starting at 6 weeks postoperatively. In conclusion, this matched cohort study found no statistically significant difference in clinical or radiologic outcomes at 12 months between immediate and delayed weightbearing following arthroscopic BMS for talar osteochondral lesions. Although early weightbearing may be feasible and well tolerated, the small sample size and wide CIs limit the strength of conclusions. These findings should be considered hypothesis-generating and underscore the need for larger, prospective trials. Click here to read the article