Beverly Hills orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Steven Meier, is one of a few surgeons to offer Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI) for cartilage restoration.
Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) May 15, 2012
Steven Meier, MD, a board certified orthopedic surgeon at La Peer Health Systems in Beverly Hills, CA is one of a few surgeons in the nation to perform autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). This procedure is used for cartilage restoration and regrowth.
“This breakthrough treatment is a great solution for many patients, especially athletes and those who are very active, who experience early cartilage degeneration. ACI provides regenerative results that were previously unavailable,” said Dr. Meier.
Cartilage is found in joint surfaces where bones come in contact with each other. Cartilage damage can be caused by traumatic injury or overuse, and can be very common among athletes. Cartilage restoration procedures help the damaged cartilage regenerate to fill in significant defects, and as a result, patients no longer experience the pain of that missing or damaged tissue.
ACI is a significant procedure that includes two surgeries to complete. “ACI is a long process and requires a real commitment to rehabilitation from the patient,” explained Dr. Meier.
If the patient is not diligent with their rehabilitation, the best results cannot be achieved. If the strict rehabilitation schedule is followed, however, patients can experience dramatic results and induced healing of what were otherwise debilitating defects of cartilage.
ACI is a two-step surgical process. Dr. Meier will first take a biopsy of healthy cartilage cells and sends them to a lab where they are cultivated, and encouraged to grow in culture over the span of several weeks. By the end of this period, the cartilage cells have multiplied enough to then be transplanted back into the patient.
To implant the newly grown cells, Dr. Meier will perform an open surgical procedure. First, a layer of tissue matrix is seeded with the cultured cartilage cells, sewn over the defect (the area that needs new cartilage), and then sealed into place with fibrin glue. Then, Dr. Meier will inject the new cartilage cells into the defect under the cover, where the new cartilage will grow into the defined area and fill in the hole of the defect until it has become like the healthy cartilage surrounding it.
One of the greatest advantages of ACI is that it utilizes the patient’s own cartilage, so there is no risk of the body rejecting the new tissue.
To learn more about this cutting-edge procedure, contact La Peer Health Systems at 855.360.9119 and ask to speak with the Orthopedic Surgery Department.
La Peer Health Systems, located in Beverly Hills in Los Angeles county, focuses on excellence in patient care, offering the most advanced treatments and equipment that the medical world has access to. With 42 doctors across 13 departments, from anesthesiology to urology, La Peer offers comprehensive and widespread medical treatments for all patients.
