Here you'll find some of the procedures the Cartilage Institute is using and pioneering:
Cartilage Repair
Autologous Chondrocyte Implant (ACI): This surgical procedure replaces damaged cartilage in the knee joint with health cartilage cells. These cells are harvested from healthy portions of the knee and are grown in a lab for implantation. This procedure is usually performed in two stages, with two separate surgeries.
Osteochondral Autograft Tranplant: This procedure replaces areas of the damaged cartilage with grafts of the patient's own healthy hyaline cartilage. The procedure, also known as mosaicplasty, is performed using small instruments through incisions on the sides of the knee. The surgeon uses a small video camera called an arthoscope to see inside the joint and guide the instruments.
Osteochondral Allograft Transplant: This procedure replaces areas of the damaged cartilage with grafts from a donor and transplants it into the patient. The procedure is performed using small instruments through incisions on the sides of the knee. The surgeon uses a small video camera called an arthoscope to see inside the joint and guide the instruments.
Meniscus Repair & Transplantation The meniscus is comprised of two c-shaped wedges of cartilage that cushion and stablize the knee joint. This outpatient arthroscopic procedure replaces lost or severely damaged meniscal cartilage with tissue taken from a donor knee. The surgery lasts one to three hours and is performed under general anesthetic.
