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Expert Orthopaedic Insights

Evidence-based articles from MSK specialists

Explore our latest guidance on joint health, sports injuries and personalised treatment pathways. All content is written and reviewed by our consultant specialists.

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OATS / Mosaicplasty09 Jul 2026

OATS mosaicplasty durability in athletes at ten years

Osteochondral autograft transfer shows a 14% failure rate in athletes at ten years versus 38% for microfracture. This durability stems from native hyaline cartilage; fibrocartilage alternatives deteriorate under sustained athletic load.

John Davies

ChondroFiller09 Jul 2026

ChondroFiller or BMAC for knee cartilage repair

ChondroFiller is an acellular collagen scaffold that recruits the patient's progenitor cells to repair cartilage; BMAC delivers concentrated bone-marrow stem cells and growth factors directly to the defect.

John Davies

ACI / MACI / STACI08 Jul 2026

Who Qualifies for ACI and How It Works

Articular cartilage cannot repair itself after injury. ACI harvests the patient's own cells, expands them over six to eight weeks in culture, and reimplants them into defects larger than roughly 2 cm², with published success rates around 85%.

John Davies

ChondroFiller08 Jul 2026

ChondroFiller or hyaluronic acid for a focal knee defect

Hyaluronic acid restores joint lubrication for generalised cartilage wear; ChondroFiller uses a collagen scaffold at focal defects to recruit the patient's own repair cells. The choice between them is driven by diagnosis, not by which treatment is stronger ...

John Davies

ChondroFiller07 Jul 2026

Is ChondroFiller available on the NHS

ChondroFiller is an acellular collagen scaffold that recruits the body's own cells to repair focal cartilage damage; European data shows 70–85% of patients report meaningful symptom relief, with outcomes comparable to NHS procedures like ACI but without the...

John Davies

OATS / Mosaicplasty07 Jul 2026

How Defect Size Decides Between OATS and MACI

Cartilage defect size is the primary decision driver: lesions under 2 cm² suit OATS, the 2–4 cm² band produces equivalent outcomes with either approach, and defects above 4 cm² favour MACI. Bone loss or staging preference can alter the recommendation.

John Davies

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