AMIC

Full-thickness cartilage damage in the knee, where the bone is exposed, does not heal spontaneously and many require surgery to regenerate the cartilage.

Autologous Matrix-Induced Chondrogenesis (AMIC) was first developed in Germany and further developed in Switzerland in the early 2000s to help regenerate cartilage in the areas of deficiency in a joint. AMIC is a one-step surgery and avoids the lengthy and complicated culturing of cartilage cells in a laboratory. AMIC can occasionally be used in severe cases where the damage has extended to the bone underneath.

This surgery is usually performed under general or spinal anaesthetic. During this surgery, the area of damage in the knee is cleared of unhealthy cartilage and the bone underneath is exposed. The bone is then prepared by microfracture or drilling. The stimulates the stem cells from inside the bone marrow to come out. Following this, a special collagen is layered over the area that has been prepared. The collagen may be either in the form of a membrane or gel. The collagen is secured over the area of the bone that has been prepared.
The stem cells that come out from the bone marrow attach to the layer of collagen, converting much of it to cartilage.
It is especially important that this cartilage regenerative procedure is considered in a young person with a localised area of damage.
AMIC is performed as a day-case. The rehabilitation is dependent on the location of the damage that is repaired.