Your MRI Says "Cartilage Damage." Is Your Athletic Life Over?

At Ortho-One, knee preservation is not a single procedure but a set of advanced treatments designed to protect and preserve your natural joint for as long as possible.

We focus on understanding where the damage is: cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, or alignment and then choose the least invasive option that can still give you long-term relief. For patients seeking knee preservation treatment at Ortho One, Coimbatore, four targeted treatment options are suggested.

Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI) for young athletes

Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI) is an advanced cartilage-repair procedure that uses the athlete's own cells to fix a damaged area inside the knee.

Step 1: A small sample of healthy cartilage is taken from a non-weight-bearing part of the knee through keyhole surgery.

Step 2: These cells are grown in a specialised lab over a few weeks.

Step 3: Then cells are re-implanted into the damaged area so they can form new, smooth cartilage over time.

When is ACI recommended?

ACI is usually recommended for younger, active patients with localised cartilage damage rather than advanced arthritis.

Osteochondral autografting (OATS) for small cartilage defects

Osteochondral autografting (OATS) is a knee preserving procedure that is done when there is a small well-defined area of cartilage damage in the knee rather than widespread arthritis.

In this procedure, the surgeon takes small cylindrical plugs of healthy bone and cartilage from a non-weight bearing part of the patient's own knee and transfers it into the damaged area.

Since the procedure uses the patient's own tissue, there is no risk of rejection, and the transplanted cartilage can integrate well with the surrounding knee surface.

When is an OATS procedure recommended?

An OATS treatment procedure is recommended for active patients with a clear injury in the cartilage to reduce pain, improve smooth movement and an early return to sport or demanding daily activity.

Ortho-One is one of the few centres in Coimbatore where arthroscopic cartilage procedures, meniscus repair, HTO and OATS are performed regularly as part of a structured knee preservation program, rather than as isolated procedures.

Conclusion

For the remaining two preservation techniques, read our other blogs on Knee Preservation.

You don't have to live with a "clicking" or "locking" knee. Biological repair can restore your joint's smooth surface and get you back to the gym or the court.

Contact us today if your MRI shows cartilage damage.