1-855-NH-SPORT
(855-647-7678)
If knee pain, swelling or a sports injury is keeping you from doing the activities you love, our Cartilage Restoration Program offers advanced treatments designed to repair damaged cartilage, preserve your natural joint and help you return to an active lifestyle. Our sports medicine specialists provide personalized care using the latest evidence-based cartilage restoration techniques, often helping patients delay or avoid joint replacement.
Articular cartilage is the smooth protective tissue covering the ends of bones inside a joint. It allows bones to glide smoothly while absorbing shock during walking, running and sports. Because cartilage has a very limited blood supply, it does not heal well on its own. Untreated damage can lead to pain, swelling, stiffness and progressive arthritis.
Cartilage injuries can happen suddenly during sports or develop gradually over time from normal wear and tear. Our specialists evaluate the underlying cause of your symptoms to recommend the most effective treatment.
Common causes include:
Cartilage damage doesn't always cause symptoms right away. As the injury progresses, you may notice pain, swelling or difficulty with everyday activities. Early evaluation can help prevent further joint damage.
Symptoms patients commonly experience:
Our Cartilage Restoration Program cares for patients with a wide range of cartilage injuries and joint preservation conditions. Whether your injury is caused by sports, trauma or early joint degeneration, we develop a treatment plan tailored to your goals.
We commonly treat:
You may benefit from cartilage restoration if you are active, have persistent knee pain, have isolated cartilage damage, want to return to sports or have been told you are too young for a knee replacement. Following a comprehensive evaluation, our specialists will determine the most appropriate treatment.
Your evaluation includes a medical history, physical examination, advanced imaging when needed, assessment of alignment, ligament stability and meniscal health, and discussion of your activity level and goals. We treat the entire joint—not just the cartilage injury.
Many patients improve with activity modification, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, bracing and image-guided injections. While these treatments can relieve symptoms, they do not regenerate damaged cartilage.
When surgery is appropriate, we offer advanced joint preservation procedures designed to restore cartilage and preserve the natural joint, including::
These procedures are often combined with ligament reconstruction, meniscus preservation or alignment correction to optimize outcomes.
Cartilage restoration is a highly specialized area of orthopedic sports medicine. Our program brings together board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons with expertise in sports medicine, cartilage restoration and joint preservation. Working alongside radiologists, physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists, our multidisciplinary team develops personalized treatment plans focused on relieving pain, restoring function and helping patients return to the activities they love.
Patients benefit from:
Our mission is to help patients maintain an active lifestyle while preserving their natural joints for as long as possible.
