Unfortunately, cartilage does not heal itself very well. The orthopedic specialists who work at Blessing are experts at stimulating the growth of new cartilage through a procedure called osteochondral autograft transplantation.
Experience the Blessing Difference: Cartilage Restoration
When you come to Blessing for cartilage restoration, you benefit from:
- Exclusive treatments: We are one of the few centers in the area with the expertise to perform a cartilage restoration procedure called osteochondral autograft transplantation. This procedure stimulates the growth of new cartilage.
- Rehabilitation: Physical therapy is key to a successful recovery after orthopedic treatment. Blessing has a range of orthopedic rehabilitation options to help you regain strength, stability and movement.
- Teamwork: The orthopedic specialists at Blessing work together to provide you with the highest quality care. Our nurses guide you through the treatment and rehabilitation process, ensuring a smooth transition back to your normal routine.
- Care that focuses on you: At Blessing, we treat our patients like family. You see the same familiar, helpful faces at your appointments and throughout your course of treatment.
Who Benefits from Cartilage Restoration?
Cartilage restoration is a good option for people who have a joint condition called osteochondritis dissecans. The condition occurs when repetitive trauma or stress to a joint — usually the knee, ankle or elbow — decreases blood flow to that area. As a result, bone and cartilage can crack, loosen and float around inside the joint, causing pain and swelling.
If treatment options such as rest and immobilization with splints or braces do not help, your doctor may recommend cartilage restoration surgery. This procedure is not a treatment for arthritis.
Cartilage Restoration Process
You can expect the following steps during this minimally invasive arthroscopic procedure:
- Your doctor relies on images from a small camera called an arthroscope to remove a segment of bone and cartilage, called a graft, from a healthy section of the joint being repaired.
- Your doctor makes several holes in the bone of the damaged joint to create a new blood supply for the joint surface.
- Your doctor transplants the graft onto the damaged joint segment, creating a smooth cartilage surface in the joint.
- The blood supply from the holes brings in cells that stimulate the production of new cartilage.
- After surgery, your doctor may recommend physical therapy to help you regain strength and mobility.