Cartilage Transplantation

Cartilage transplantation is a new technique aimed at repairing injuries to the damaged gliding surface of the joint-hyaline cartilage. It is not a treatment for the shock absorbing cartilage of the knee (meniscus).

Cartilage transplantation is aimed at repairing isolated defects in the articular cartilage of the joint which, if left untreated, is believed to go on to cause osteoarthritis of the joint in the long term.

The technique is aimed at the younger knee with isolated defects and stable ligaments, but once significant osteoarthritis has set in then the transplant will not help. The cartilage must have the ability to regenerate and be put in the right environment to allow this to happen.

Cartilage transplantation involves removing a small piece of cartilage arthroscopically, then sending it to a laboratory to be processed, grown and applied to a collagen matrix and then re-inserting the composite graft weeks to months later.

There is an extensive recovery process following this procedure.

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