Orthopedic surgeons at the JPC have a full range of options at their disposal to help patients maintain – or regain – the active lifestyles we all value.
The Joint Preservation Center offers several procedures that restore or repair damaged articular cartilage and preserves function, starting with methods for repairing early localized damage – called focal chondral defects. These methods include:
For larger areas of bone and cartilage loss, surgeons can implant a piece of freshly donated cartilage and bone that eventually functions as if it were the patient’s own.
This technique, analogous to a hair-plug transfer, allows surgeons to remove a small section of the patient’s own bone and cartilage from an area of the knee that does not bear weight, and transfer the plug to a damaged portion of the knee.
Aided by a small camera, surgeons can locate damaged tissue and trim away areas of torn cartilage. Surgeons can also use this method to carefully created small holes in the uncovered bone – called microfractures – which heal to form a type of cartilage covering that resembles normal articular cartilage
