Cartilage Transplant

There are many causes for painful worn cartilage in the knee joint: arthritis, arthrosis, traumas with bone- or cartilage lesions or metabolic disorders like gout or hemochromatosis. © bilderzwerg @ fotolia

Osteoarthritis (worn cartilage) is the most common joint condition. The most common form of osteoarthritis is osteoarthritis of the knee. Osteoarthritis of the knee causes chronic pain and limits movement. The cartilage in the knee wears away over many years. Since the cartilage has no sensitive nerve endings (pain sensors), damage is only noticed when the defects already affect the bone beneath the cartilage.

A cartilage transplant, or cartilage cell or chondrocyte transplant, is a new surgical procedure: in which cartilage damage is repaired using cartilage cells from the patient’s own body. Few knee specialists in Germany successfully perform this procedure. Dr Baum was the first physician in the world to perform an entirely arthroscopic cartilage transplant of the knee. He co-developed this procedure and trained other physicians in this surgical procedure.

©Viewmedica

The path to osteoarthritis is reversible

Patients benefitting from the regeneration of their cartilage with autologous cartilage transplantation, can enjoy something that no generation before them was able to experience: enhanced agility, flexibility and overall knee performance.

Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation

Cartilage transplantation is not advisable for all patients. Ideally patients are between 15 and 55 years of age, although this is flexible.

If fitness and the general level of health is good, active people up to the age of 65 years have successfully received cartilage transplants and have gone on to enjoy sports such as skiing once more.

The following factors are more likely to be a barrier to successful transplants than the age of the patient:

First Step of cartilage transplant - harvesting a tiny grain of your cartilage

Directly after transplantation the cartilage cells are a soft jelly like substance. They will not have the thickness and resilience of the surrounding cartilage. This is comparable to a newly sown lawn. Just as new grass must be protected from heavy use e.g. football being played on it, the newly implanted cartilage must be protected from full weight-bearing activity. On the third day following the operation, the patient may leave the hospital. As standing or walking unaided is not possible for the next six weeks, the patient must use crutches and later on a walking stick.