WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

THERE is a 20 per cent chance that this type of knee cartilage transplant will fail.

IT CAN’T restore the knee to full function.

THERE is no long-term data yet to prove how long it will last.

‘A biological knee replacement doesn’t work for everyone, and there is a very long recovery period,’ says Stephen Cannon, vicepresident of the Royal College of Surgeons, who recently retired as consultant orthopaedic surgeon at The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore.

‘By contrast, recovery from a knee replacement is six to 12 weeks.

‘Also, it does not restore the knee to full function. However, the transplant may last a long time and is a valid approach for appropriate patients.’