KNEE ARTHRITIS - Autologous chondrocyte implantation (A.C.I.) :

TIB PLAT FX - now ACI ? - - Posted by Connecticut_Jets (Connecticut_Jets), 20 October 2004

Hi to all...where do I start...June 5th 2004. Until then I was a 27 year old football player, active athlete, personal trainer..very active until a blow to my knee in a soccer game and I limp away with a swollen knee. X-Rays reveal type I tib plat fracture - clean break, towards the lateral end of the bone, with no chips or major displacements. Surgery...2 screws in no plates. Do said this was a clean break. But tib plat and femur condule on the outside made contact and I lost a piece of articular cartilage and about 20% of meniscus. He said 20% of meniscus was no big deal at all. But the articualr cartilage..we will se he said...anyhow...I started an aggressive workout schedule 10 days post op. In a mateer of 8 weeks my ROM went back to 145 degrees and after 10 weeks to minus 2. I was non weight bearing for 14 weeks and I started walking after that until now Oct 20...next week I am in for screws removal..yes very early huh? Well..the doc said I have a great bone recovery and thanks to my workouts including 2 times a day bicycle rides at the gym, 5 times a week of swimming...he is taking them out. Even as I am cheating right now walking around here and there...knee feels great. There is some clicking on the full extension at zero degrees point - he says it is the articular cartilage void. So next week - OCT 27 screws are going out...and he will determine if I qualify for ACI. He will at that time if it is a yes, take out a piece of cartilage and send it to Boston (GENZYME)...3 weeks later, open knee surgery to put the implant in. I am scared. I am only 28 right now...still want to play sports. What do you folks think of all this? Will ACI help me get back to sports in 12 months? And prevent from TKR or any other problems? Looks like the bone healed nicely..but this ACI is freaking me out. I am ready to do any workouts it takes to recover. But what are the chances for it?  

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