Cartilage restoration

When joints pop, crack or hurt, it’s time to take notice. Our orthopedic specialists treat cartilage damage with treatments that repair tissue and restore health.

Innovative treatments for cartilage restoration: Why choose Aurora BayCare Medical Center?

Look to our orthopedic surgeons for the newest treatments in repairing and restoring damaged cartilage. We use the most advanced techniques available to relieve pain and restore mobility. We offer:

• Leading-edge treatments: We are the first and only cartilage transplant provider in Northeast Wisconsin. Since 2009, our surgeons have used donor cartilage to repair arthritis of the knee.
• Recognized expertise: Our orthopedic surgery team has demonstrated their skill and knowledge. We teach other physicians how to perform state-of-the-art cartilage restoration surgery.
• Shorter hospital stays: Up to 40% of our joint replacement surgery patients leave the hospital the same day. Fewer complications and sophisticated pain control methods allow you to get home sooner.

Cartilage restoration treatments and services

We use sophisticated treatments and procedures to restore cartilage and eliminate pain, including:

Cartilage transplant

Our specialists are highly skilled in cartilage transplant surgery. We perform:

• Autologous chondrocyte implantation: We use your own knee cartilage cells to create additional cells that specialists use to repair damage. Surgeons insert a thin instrument with an attached camera (arthroscope) through a small incision to see the joint. They insert miniature instruments through other small incisions to harvest a small piece of cartilage from the joint. Then, surgeons:
  • Send the cartilage to a lab, where technicians remove the cells that produce cartilage (chondrocytes). Technicians then grow more chondrocytes using sophisticated technology.
  • Place a small patch over the damaged cartilage when it is time to implant the new cells about six weeks later.
  • Inject the chondrocytes under the patch. The cells then attach to the bone and form new cartilage.
• Allographic transplant: We use knee cartilage from a donor to repair your damaged knee cartilage. During an allograft, surgeons take healthy tissue from a donor and transfer it to replace damaged cartilage in the joint.

Marrow stimulation

We offer a method known as microfracture chondroplasty to stimulate bone marrow production. Bone marrow stem cells help generate new cells to replace damaged cartilage.

To view the joint, surgeons insert an arthroscope, a thin instrument with an attached camera, through a small incision. They then use a drill or pick to create tiny holes (microfractures) in the bone near the cartilage. Next, they release stem cells that help create new cartilage to replace damaged tissue over time.

OATS procedure

Our team uses the osteochondral autograft (or allograft) transfer system (OATS). With OATS, they can create new cells to replace damaged cartilage in the knee.

In the OATS procedure, surgeons remove a piece of the injured cartilage and the bone beneath it. They then fill the hole left when they removed damaged tissue with a section of new cartilage and bone. This tissue might come from your own knee (autograft) or a donor (allograft).

Once doctors insert the replacement tissue, they move the piece into place until it fits like a puzzle piece. With a precise fit, you won’t need artificial devices to hold the transferred cartilage in place.

Regenerative medicine

Our regenerative medicine specialists use therapies that encourage new cells to grow. These new cells can replace damaged tissue over time, restoring mobility and eliminating pain. Platelet-rich plasma and stem cells are two therapies our team uses.

Joint surgery

Sometimes, cartilage restoration isn’t possible. Our surgeons relieve pain and improve function with joint resurfacing (capping bones to protect them) and total joint replacement (replacing bones with artificial joints). We offer:

• Foot and ankle treatments
• Hand and wrist treatments
• Hip treatments
• Knee treatments
• Shoulder and elbow treatments

Conditions we treat

Cartilage is a protective fibrous tissue that cushions joints and prevents bone damage. When cartilage wears down, bones rub together, causing pain and damage.

Damage to cartilage results from osteoarthritis, a condition that causes cartilage to wear away. Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, causes inflammation in the joints, damaging protective tissues.

Trauma and overuse injuries can also damage cartilage. Joint pain is a sign that cartilage may be deteriorating.