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Joint Preservation Specialist

Otis R. Drew, MD -  - Orthopaedic Surgeon

Otis R. Drew, MD

Orthopaedic Surgeon located in Lafayette, LA

Joint preservation (cartilage restoration) is a plethora of procedures in which a patient’s knee is resurfaced, realigned, and stabilized to preserve a deteriorating joint thereby avoiding or delaying joint replacement surgery. This problem is cause by damaged or deteriorating cartilage and/or misalignment of the knee. Every patient is different, so Dr. Drew will customize your joint preservation strategy with you based on your individual situation, taking into account factors such as your age, expectations, level of joint dysfunction, and activity level. 

Joint Preservation Q & A

What is cartilage?

Cartilage is a firm, smooth, and slippery covering on the ends of bones that protects and cushions the joint. Injuries to cartilage can lead to pain and swelling. Deterioration of cartilage occurs with arthritis.


What are symptoms of a cartilage injury/deterioration?

Injuries to cartilage can lead to joint pain and swelling. Partially or fully detached injured cartilage can cause mechanical symptoms like, “locking up or catching”. The symptoms can be on one side of your knee and most commonly the pain is on the inside, or medial, part of the knee but pain can also be experienced on the outside, or lateral part, of the knee also. Also there can be difficulty with squatting, walking up or down stairs. There is increased pain with activity and stiffness noted after prolonged resting.


What causes a cartilage injury/deterioration?

Most often cartilage injuries/deterioration happens in the knee joint. Cartilage injury/deterioration can also be due to arthritis in the knee. Cartilage injury can be due to a single traumatic event like a twisting non-contact injury and also it can be caused by low-impact repetitive injuries. 


How is a cartilage injury diagnosed?

Dr. Drew diagnoses a cartilage injury after a thorough physical examination and review of your medical history. He may order imaging tests, including MRIs and X-rays, to get a further understanding of the workings inside your knee joint.


What are treatment options for joint preservation?

Treatment options address two important issues biomechanics and biology.

The biomechanics includes knee realignment and ligament reconstructions of the knee. Correction of misalignment improves biomechanics by correcting bowing or knocked knee deformities of the knee and this reduces loads on certain parts of the knee joint reducing pain. The biology forms of treatment are cartilage repair techniques that include autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) and osteochondral allograft transplant (OATS).

With ACI procedure, cartilage cells are harvested from a non-weight bearing area of the knee and grown in a laboratory and then implanted in the area of the cartilage defect/injury.

With OATS procedure, allograft cartilage is used and it is obtained from a cadaver donor. It is prepared in a laboratory and is tested for any disease transmission. The allograft can be shaped to fit the cartilage defect and is press fit into place.