HCB News: Why are many knee pain sufferers in the U.S. postponing treatment?

GVT: On average, it takes people three years to seek treatment from a health care professional after first experiencing knee pain, and those who continue to wait, will continue to experience a decrease in mobility over time. Despite living in pain and missing out on the things they love, most knee pain sufferers admit they’d rather deal with their knee pain and manage it with medication than undergo surgery. Many surveyed even admitted that they aren’t actively searching for a solution to their knee pain. More than a third of knee pain sufferers (36%) said they had not sought treatment from a health care provider, citing that they believe they can live with the pain. Others cited the costs associated with treatment and fear of the surgery not working as reasons for not seeking care.


HCB News: Based on the survey and your expertise, what steps can patients take to treat their knee pain? What can happen if patients don’t seek treatment?

GVT: Many knee pain sufferers tend to lose hope of returning to their active lifestyle. Most blame their knee pain on aging, while others just get used to living with the pain. Instead of ignoring the pain, it’s important to seek immediate help, especially when suffering with knee cartilage damage. Cartilage injuries can often be chronic since cartilage itself has little capacity to repair or regenerate. That is why it is important for knee pain sufferers to take action right away – a good place to start is talking to a medical professional and determining treatment options.

Speaking with a health care provider can lead people to take further action to treat their knee pain. According to the survey, knee pain sufferers who sought treatment from a health care provider were more likely to understand long-term solutions, such as surgery and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). Those who had surgery indicated it to be an effective treatment for knee pain, with more than two in three (68%) saying they would consider having another surgery for their knee(s).

HCB News: What kind of treatment options are available for knee pain, particularly knee cartilage injuries? How do patients know which treatment is right for them?

GVT:: Today, there are many treatment options available for patients with knee cartilage injuries, including chondroplasty, marrow stimulation repair procedures, osteochondral implants and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). Deciding which one is the appropriate treatment, depends on the patient’s circumstance and personal preference, as well as the size of the defect. For the repair of symptomatic knee cartilage damage in adults, when appropriate, I use MACI, a third generation ACI treatment that repairs a patient’s cartilage defects using their own cells.

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