Arthroscopy is a surgical technique that has revolutionized how some complex problems that develop in certain joints are treated, including the hip, knee, shoulder, ankle, elbow and wrist.

In my previous blog post, I shared that one out of five people (approximately 20 percent) who undergo Total Knee Replacement (TKR) are not satisfied with the result. I discussed the methods we use to understand the exact cause/causes of unsatisfactory outcomes, in order to improve these results.

As comments and very detailed questions from readers continue to be posted on my blog, it occurred to me that it was time to do a series of Q&A posts that talk about joints and why they deteriorate, as well as what treatments and surgeries are available today to get people back on their feet and enjoying a pain-free lifestyle.

My final blog in this series on biologic strategies for repairing joint damage focuses on leading edge treatments designed to stimulate the regeneration of new hyaline cartilage: Osteochondral Autograft Transplantation (OATS or Mosaicplasty), Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation, Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI) and Stem Cell and Tissue engineering.