Cartilage Restoration

Cartilage injuries can be painful and, if left untreated, can eventually lead to degenerative arthritis. The goal of cartilage restoration is to remove the source of pain and prevent further damage to the joint. 

 

Cartilage restoration can be performed using the patient's cartilage or from live cartilage harvested from organ donors. The orthopedic surgeons at BayCare Clinic are leaders in cartilage restoration and were the first to offer cell-based cartilage transplants in the region. 

 

Your cartilage

Using the Osteoarticular Transfer System, or OATS Surgery, damaged cartilage in the knee is replaced with healthy cartilage from another area of the joint. A small plug of bone and cartilage is removed from an area with less critical need and moved to the damaged site. 

 

Cell-based transplantation is another option to repair cartilage damage using the patient's cartilage. In this procedure, however, the patient's cartilage cells are sent to a specialized lab. After about six weeks, these cells will have grown enough to proceed with surgery.

 

This procedure is most common in younger patients, including adolescents, because of its extensive durability. Studies show that even 10 years after the procedure, as many as 75 percent to 85 percent of patients are still experiencing excellent results.

 

Cell-based cartilage transplantation has been approved for use in the U.S. for about 13 years, but is still not widely available. Dr. Jon Henry, one of BayCare Clinic's orthopedic surgeons, not only offers this treatment but teaches other physicians how to perform this state-of-the-art cartilage restoration surgery.

 

Donor cartilage

As an alternative to harvesting the patient's cartilage, cartilage restoration procedures can be performed using donor cartilage grafts or cells.

 

By using donor cartilage, the surgery is reduced to a one-step process and removes the risk of damaging the patient's healthy tissue. 

 

Additional resources

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

American Academy of Sports Medicine

Carticel

 

Documents

Cartilage Transplantation Treatment Options

 

Consultations

If you have chronic joint pain and are considering knee replacement or ankle surgery, please request an appointment online or call our office to find out if cartilage restoration could work for you.

 

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