Cartilage replacement in the foot hallux limitus hallux rigidus ankle arthritis

Cartilage replacement in the foot

Advances in cartilage replacement surgery is one of the most exciting developments  in foot and ankle surgery. Until recently one who is suffering with joint degeneration in the foot or ankle had limited options. You either had to suffer and try different shoes, orthotics or injections. Or surgically the options were joint fusion or joint replacement. The downside to joint fusions or replacements was that joint fusions you lost all motion in the joint of the foot or ankle that was being fused. And joint replacements have had issues such as loosening of the implants, infections and continued pain.

Cartilage replacement in the foot has always been the optimal solution however the cartilage did not take or last long. With advancements form various companies that harvest the cartilage and with better understanding of deformity analysis we can replace the diseased cartilage. Patients have been thrilled with these procedures. I have performed surgery on  hundreds of patients that have been able to return to running and skiing and all types of activities. These patients were mostly told they needed fusions, some joint replacements. They searched for an alternative and found what we are doing here at the Advanced Foot And Ankle Center Of San Diego was best for them.

The technique we perform is to prepare the diseased joint by cleaning out the diseased cartilage. We then drill the bone to stimulate bleeding to bring cartilage precursor cells to the area we then apply the cartilage. Currently I am using Cartiform or biocartilage or denovo cartilage. We then apply PRP (platelet rich plasma ) over the cartilage. The trick I have found is to apply a mini external fixator over the joint and distract the joint while the cartilage is intergrading for the first 3 weeks. Once that is removed the patients are usually back in shoes within a month from the surgery .  Patients love this procedure so much that they come back to get surgery on the other foot.  Feel free to contact me with any questions to see if this is the right procedure for you.