The ACI procedure

Chondrocyte Harvest

For articular cartilage defects larger than 1.5 cm in diameter, Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation, or the Carticel procedure is one of the more advanced techniques for cartilage restoration. The ACI technique was originated in Sweden almost 20 years ago. It was FDA approved in the USA in 1995. The ACI procedure has been advanced in key cartilage centers such as The Joint Preservation Center. Surgeons in the JPC have been doing the procedure since 1998, lecturing nationally and internationally on the procedure, teaching the technique to interested surgeons and creating new adaptations and theories.

This unique procedure, a result of bio-technology, actually uses your own cartilage to restore defects in the joint surface. The first of the two-stage procedure is performed with an arthroscope. The joint is thoroughly assessed and injury patterns are evaluated. In preparation for implantation, a small amount of your articular cartilage is harvested. It is sent to a special laboratory where, through advanced cell culturing techniques, the cell number is increased from a few hundred thousand to over 12 million cells. These cells are implanted into the knee joint through a second open operative procedure. The cells are injected under a lid created by a piece of your bone lining (periosteum) or a piece of commercial graph tissue (usually porcine or equine though others are being researched), which is sutured over the defect. The new cells adhere to the base of the defect within 6 hours and begin to grow. Complete healing takes several months but eventually, the joint is restored and returned to almost pre-injury status reestablishing the articular surface.