A new procedure to treat cartilage damage has been introduced by a medical team at Spire Alexandra Hospital, Kent, UK.

The minimally invasive procedure replaces damaged cartilage with a specially developed purified atelocollagen gel, tailored for each individual patient.

Spire Alexandra’s consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Anan Shetty said the Cartifill technique is predominantly beneficial to patients with cartilage damage to the patella (knee cap).

“This is a very exciting advancement in orthopaedic surgery,” Shetty said.

The Cartifill procedure, developed in partnership with the UK’s Spire Healthcare and South Korea’s Regenerative Medical System, could benefit about 9,000 people in the UK each year.