The Cartilage Center

Treatment Goals

At the Cartilage Center at Aurora BayCare and Summit, our team of specialists includes orthopedic surgeons, clinic and hospital staff, and physical therapists, working together and dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for each individual patient. We utilize the most current technology and techniques to make this possible.

Determining the best treatment for a cartilage problem requires a comprehensive and individualized approach. The treatment goals for cartilage restoration are threefold:

  1. Relieve pain and restore function;
  2. Improve quality of life; and
  3. Slow progression of joint degeneration (osteoarthritis)

It is important to understand that not every cartilage injury or lesion requires surgery. In addition, no one single surgical procedure is adequate for all cartilage lesions; and sometimes the extent of cartilage damage is beyond repair by cartilage restoration techniques. It is in cases where cartilage damage is beyond repair that prosthetic resurfacing or even total joint replacement is a more appropriate option.