AMAZING NEW TECHNIQUE
Angus Strover, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon - London Knee Clinic
In 2001, 41 year old Sarah Rew was jogging in her local park when she experienced pain in her right knee, after two months of continuing pain she consulted a sports doctor.
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Her scans revealed a cyst in the joint surface and cartilage damage. Her surgeon carried out an OATS procedure in December 2001 which was unsuccessful and the possibility of a knee replacement was looming. |
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Hole in femur and cartilage damage |
Her surgeon Mr Angus Strover, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at The London and Droitwich Knee Clinics suggested he carry out a fairly new technique called a “cartilage cell transplantation”. In January 2003 several pieces of articular cartilage from Mrs Rew’s right knee were removed arthroscopically from the edges of the defect and placed in a culture medium. Four weeks later the cultured cells were implanted into her knee. She was on crutches for eight weeks and within four weeks she was back at work.
One year later her scans showed that the cartilage defect had been fully covered with new tissue. Sarah has now started playing tennis and golf again and has even been able to consider a skiing holiday.
Mrs Rew said “I just wish I had opted for the cell transplantation procedure in the first place. My knee is still improving so much so that I joined a tennis and golf club and have been able to book myself a skiing holiday!”
