69-yr-old undergoes novel procedure for osteoarthritis

Sarah Hassler, a teacher at an international school in Chennai, experienced sharp pain in her knees that was diagnosed as grade 3 osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common problem worldwide leading to disability. Knee replacement is the usual method of treatment but the doctors at Apollo Hospital decided to perform the minimally invasive all autologous cartilage repair surgery.

The one–step minced cartilage procedure preserves the patient’s natural joint for many years wherein a portion of a healthy cartilage particulated from the same knee is used to repair the damaged portion of the cartilage.

Usually the surgery for cartilage repair is a two-step process, which is done by harvesting and growing the patient’s own cartilage cells in the lab for 4-6 weeks after which it is implanted. In the one-step minced cartilage procedure, there is no usage of chemical agents, said Dr Madhan Thiruvengada, senior consultant orthopedic surgeon, adding that the patient was discharged within a day.