cartilage transplant

Healthy (hyaline) articular cartilage is essential for proper knee function, allowing virtually frictionless movement. Articular cartilage is capable of absorbing tensions and forces equivalent to up to 8 times body weight.

 

Articular cartilage defects have very little self-repair potential because the cartilage contains very few “living” cells and blood flow is relatively poor. Even a small defect in the articular cartilage of the knee can generate considerable pain, blockage, edema and other symptoms that limit activity and often precipitate degenerative osteoarthritis (DO).

 

Traditional surgical techniques that aim to fill the articular cartilage defect (such as microfractures or debridement) only form scar tissue (fibrocartilage) whose structure is different from that of the original hyaline articular cartilage.