Percutaneous Drilling for Joint Preservation
When joint cartilage is damaged from wear and tear, or from injury, it does not have the capacity to repair on its own. Cartilage does not auto-regenerate like many other tissues, and even creating scar tissue or fibrocartilage may require outside stimulation. One option for protecting joints when cartilage is damaged is percutaneous drilling for joint preservation, a treatment available at DOCS Health in Los Angeles.
Many joints contain two or more bones that are covered with articular cartilage. The cartilage provides protection for the bones as they move, reducing friction and inflammation. When the cartilage is worn thin or damaged due to injury, it does not easily repair, causing more friction in the joints. Removing damaged pieces of cartilage and stimulating the growth of new cartilage or fibrocartilage (scar tissue) can protect the joint, reduce pain and provide joint preservation. One way to accomplish this is with percutaneous drilling surgery.
Arthroscopy Joint Drilling for Cartilage Repair
Percutaneous drilling in the joints can stimulate scar tissue growth for joint preservation. This treatment is performed using arthroscopy, or keyhole surgery. Small incisions around the joint are used to insert an arthroscope for illuminating and viewing the interior of the joint through a digital camera. The images are displayed on a monitor for the orthopedic surgeon to view while performing the procedure. Small instruments are used to debride the damaged cartilage, and then small holes are drilled into the surface of the bone where the cartilage is thin or missing. These microfractures stimulate the body to repair the bone and cartilage by improving blood flow to the bone surface and cartilage.
Percutaneous drilling for joint preservation can be used alone or in conjunction with other regenerative therapies. Our orthopedic team at DOCS Health offers advanced solutions for treating damaged and painful joints. Contact us at our clinic in Los Angeles to schedule a joint preservation consultation.
Doctors who treat this condition
Unless otherwise indicated, the physician is a member of DOCS Health Medical Group and has medical staff privileges at DOCS Surgery Center, DOCS Surgical Hospital, or both. Physicians denoted with an asterisk (*) are independent physicians who are not part of DOCS Health Medical Group, but do have medical staff privileges at DOCS Surgery Center, DOCS Surgical Hospital, or both.