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MACI® Implant – Advanced Cartilage Repair
The MACI implant uses the patient’s own (autologous) cultured cartilage cells (chondrocytes) to repair the articular cartilage damage in the knee joint.
The Surgical Process
The first step is to obtain a small amount (about the size of two pencil erasers) of the patient’s cartilage (a biopsy). The surgeon may perform an arthroscopy specifically to obtain a biopsy, or may obtain the cartilage biopsy while performing another arthroscopic procedure on the knee.
During the arthroscopy, a fibre-optic telescope (arthroscope) is inserted into the affected knee joint through a small incision in the skin, allowing the surgeon to see the inside of the joint. Another small incision is made to allow the insertion of other instruments.
Once completed, the cartilage sample is shipped to a laboratory, where the cells are cultured over a period of several weeks to increase the number of cells from a few hundred thousand to over 10 million cells. These cells are seeded on a membrane. Once the culturing process is complete, the cells seeded on a membrane are returned to the surgeon for the second stage of the process, implantation.
The surgeon will make an incision in the knee and prepare the defect by clearing away any and all damaged tissue. The surgeon will then place and fix the membrane with the cultured cells into the defect. Over several months, these cells create a matrix that covers the articular surface - in effect, replacing the lost cartilage in the knee.
Rehabilitation
As with most surgery involving joints, the patient’s recovery, and ultimate clinical outcome, following a MACI implantation, may be enhanced by adherence to an appropriate post-operative physiotherapy programme. Please see your doctor for information on suggested rehabilitation guidelines.
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