Which specialist performs cartilage repair surgery?

Cartilage procedures vary according to the joint involved, the size and position of the damaged area, symptoms, alignment, and the health of nearby bone. An orthopedic surgeon reviews your history, examines movement and stability, and may use imaging to understand the defect. Options can include smoothing or stimulating repair, transferring cartilage and bone, or using a cell-based repair approach in selected situations.

A sports-medicine orthopedic surgeon commonly treats cartilage injuries linked with sport, while another orthopedic surgeon may focus on a particular joint such as the knee, hip, ankle, or shoulder. The appropriate choice is a surgeon who routinely manages cartilage problems in your affected joint.

Bring imaging reports and copies of scans if available, along with a record of when pain, swelling, catching, or locking began. Explain your activity goals, previous physiotherapy, injections, and operations. Ask whether the symptoms match the cartilage finding, because an imaging change may not be the only source of pain.

Discuss activity modification, strengthening, weight-bearing limits, and other non-operative care before deciding. If surgery is considered, ask which repair method fits the defect, what rehabilitation involves, and when you could return to work, walking, or sport. See the linked treatment overview for a broader description.

Seek timely assessment for a joint that repeatedly locks, gives way, becomes increasingly swollen, or loses movement. After an injury, urgent evaluation is needed if you cannot bear weight, the joint looks deformed, or the limb becomes numb, cold, or unusually pale. Fever with a hot, swollen joint also needs prompt medical attention.

Ask: Which joint structures are damaged? What does the scan show about the defect and surrounding bone? Which repair techniques do you offer for this joint? What are the realistic goals and rehabilitation stages? When would another opinion or a non-operative plan be sensible?