Hi Tom,
So sorry to hear what you’re going through. OCD is really life-changing and I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy. At this point you are pretty much where I was almost exactly 5 years ago. I got my OCD at 24, my first surgery at 26, and am now 31.
Please let me tell you to proceed with extreme caution here. You seem to be much more informed than I was at 26 - I just thought microfracture would cure me 100% and I would be back to full activity no problem. I had a microfracture at 26, was back to 100% within 4 months.. played softball, basketball, you name it.. and then 2 months later the MF failed and I was worse than ever.
I have gotten 2 surgeries since then - bone marrow aspiration and then DeNovo, which I think finally did the trick but I have accepted I will never run again, and I am still dealing with tendinitis in multiple tendons which affects my gait and causes discomfort/pain in 75% of my steps.
As I said, an OCD is life-changing and having chronic pain will completely affect your mood and psyche, so if you end up getting surgery make sure you do it right the first time. I would strongly advise against MF as I have heard too many stories of it not lasting, especially for young people who want to be active.
If you learn anything at all from me, it is be deliberate and thorough with your decision. Not sure who you saw but I hear Dr Ferkel in CA is great. However, if you can, see 3 or even 4 doctors if you need to - ones who specialize in DeNovo, biocartilage, and MACI - and even consider flying somewhere if you need to. Because once you commit to surgery you are setting yourself up for a potentially very long and difficult journey if it doesn’t work the first time.
Please feel free to read my whole story and let me know if you have any questions.
http://osteochondraldefect.net/forum/index.php?topic=190.0Mike