Treatment with Carticel®
Carticel uses your own cartilage cells (chondrocytes) to repair the articular cartilage damage in your knee. When implanted into a cartilage injury, your own cells can form new cartilage; this new cartilage is very similar to your original cartilage. The Carticel implantation procedure is called Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation or ACI. It is a two-step process.

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Some Frequently Asked Questions
What is Carticel?
Carticel is a biologic product used to repair articular cartilage injuries in adults who have not responded to a prior arthroscopic or other surgical repair procedure. It uses your body's own cultured cells to form new hyaline-like cartilage in your knee following a surgical procedure called autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). Carticel is the name of the cells that are grown from the samples (or biopsy) taken from your knee. Carticel poses little risk of disease transmission to you since it comes from your own tissue. Carticel is not indicated for the treatment of cartilage damage associated with generalized osteoarthritis.

Is Carticel safe?
Carticel poses little risk of disease transmission to you since it comes from your own tissue. Complications after surgery, such as symptoms of catching, locking, and pain, can sometimes occur. Your doctor may need to perform another procedure, most often arthroscopic in nature, to remedy any issues. Subsequent procedures are common, occurring in nearly half of patients.

Can any surgeon treat me with Carticel?
Only surgeons specially trained in the implantation technique may perform the procedure. Dr. Michael Gilmore of Panhandle Orthopaedics is specially trained in Carticel surgery.

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