MGM Healthcare Malar Adyar Performs Breakthrough Autograft Cartilage Tissue Transplant for Knee

Chennai, December 27, 2025: MGM Healthcare Malar, Adyar has successfully performed a fifth-generation Autograft Cartilage Tissue Transplant, an advanced arthroscopic daycare procedure that allows patients to walk immediately after surgery while helping prevent the need for total knee replacement. This single-stage technique involves harvesting healthy cartilage from the patient’s own joint and transplanting it into the damaged area, effectively addressing the limitations of older methods that required multiple surgeries or laboratory-based cartilage culturing.

(L to R) Dr.Kalpana, Medical Superintendent, MGM Healthcare Malar; Dr Nandkumar Sundaram, Senior Consultant, Department of Orthopaedics; Patient 

The advanced cartilage transplant is especially beneficial for patients suffering from focal chondral defects, osteochondral lesions, early-stage osteoarthritis and chondromalacia patella. If left untreated, such cartilage damage can progress to severe joint degeneration, often necessitating total knee replacement. By restoring damaged cartilage at an early stage and preserving the natural joint, this technique offers a safer, joint-preserving alternative, particularly for younger and physically active patients.

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MGM Malar has been at the forefront of this procedure since 2018, continuously refining the technique through research and clinical experience. Patients treated with this approach have shown consistent long-term healing, high satisfaction levels and sustained joint preservation, without the need for implants, crutches or prolonged physiotherapy.

Explaining the procedure, Dr Nandkumar Sundaram, Senior Consultant, Department of Orthopaedics, said that cartilage damage caused by injury, wear and tear or arthritis requires specialised restorative techniques to maintain smooth joint movement. “Autograft cartilage tissue transplant is among the most effective options available. The procedure includes graft preparation, application of platelet-rich plasma from the patient’s own blood to promote healing, and fixation using fibrin glue, a natural biological adhesive. All of this is completed in a single, minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery, allowing patients to walk immediately without braces or assistive devices,” he said, adding that the surgery significantly reduces pain, improves mobility and helps delay the progression of arthritis.

Highlighting long-term outcomes, Dr Sundaram cited the case of a 53-year-old man from Tamil Nadu, currently working in Madhya Pradesh, who had suffered from severe knee pain and restricted mobility for over 15 years due to osteoarthritis. At risk of total knee replacement because of progressive cartilage damage and joint deformity, the patient underwent a single-stage autograft cartilage transplant in 2018 and has remained completely symptom-free for six years.

Dr Sundaram further emphasised that strict patient selection is key to the success of the procedure. “When appropriately selected, patients achieve significant pain relief, improved mobility and a longer joint lifespan, effectively delaying or avoiding total knee replacement,” he noted.

Echoing this, Mr Venugopal Bhat, Chief Operating Officer, MGM Healthcare Malar, Adyar, said, “These long-term results reflect our commitment to minimally invasive innovations that preserve natural joints and significantly enhance patients’ quality of life.”

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