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For athletes, weekend warriors, and people under fifty-five, knee pain can arrive at an all-too-early age. Growing some new knees in a test tube probably sounds like a great idea—and while technology hasn’t taken medicine quite that far, medical advancements now make it possible for physicians to stimulate growth of new cartilage in a test tube. Healthy cartilage allows bone joints to glide over one another for pain-free movement. Unable to heal itself well, articular cartilage (the smooth white tissue covering the ends of your bones) can be damaged by injury or normal wear and tear. Mechanical symptoms such as the knee catching or locking can signal a defect in your cartilage. Once rest, elevation, and anti-inflammatory medications lose their effectiveness, it’s time for a new solution to your joint pain. Cartilage replacement surgery is a two-step procedure. Using arthroscopy, the surgeon first takes a biopsy of healthy knee cartilage. These cartilage cells are sent to a laboratory where they are grown and cultured. It takes four to five weeks for the cartilage cells to reproduce. Once there are enough new cells, a second surgery is scheduled. Replacing cartilage cells is typically a two-hour surgery performed under general anesthesia. In this outpatient procedure, the surgeon injects the reproduced cells back into the patient’s defective knee area. Patients return home using crutches or a knee brace, and physical therapy sessions begin several days after surgery. Physical therapy is used to strengthen the knee joint and the muscles that surround it. Refraining from full weight-bearing activities for three months is required, and it takes one year for your new cartilage to completely mature. Since cartilage replacement surgery is a two-step procedure and geared toward a younger population, it may not be the appropriate surgery for everyone. If you’re interested in learning more about cartilage replacement surgery, contact the Center for Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine at 301-665-4575 for more information.
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