CARTICEL® stories
Often, patients tell us what a difference CARTICEL has made in their lives. See what two patients have to say.
Kevin
Kevin Harbison was living his lifelong dream, playing football for the Naval Academy and training to become a military officer. Then, in one short moment, his life changed. “I was jogging down the field and my knee happened to buckle,” he explains. “I knew something was wrong.”
See Kevin in action
Paulina
Paulina Ramirez loves to dance. She smiles, “It’s the way I socialize with my friends. It’s the way I release stress. It’s the way I get energy. It’s the way I enjoy life.” So when a piece of cartilage broke loose in her knee, forcing her off the dance floor, Paulina knew she had to do something. “I stopped exercising altogether,” Paulina remembers. “The one thing I would just push through was the dancing—until I couldn't even do that.” Read Paulina's full interview
See Paulina in action
Brian
When knee pain began to compromise his daily activities, Brian, a talented lawyer and sports enthusiast opted for CARTICEL to help him get back to his active lifestyle. Read Brian's full interview
Sue Bloom, Physical Therapist
As a physical therapist, Sue Bloom has helped a diverse group of CARTICEL patients return to their active lifestyles. Sue has spent her entire career in physical therapy. Recently, we asked her for her thoughts on what CARTICEL patients should expect from this big step in their recovery. Read Sue's full interview
Hear more patient stories and find out more about CARTICEL
How CARTICEL works
This animated guide explains the CARTICEL procedure.
Have Questions?
Check out our FAQs for answers—or contact a Carticel Care® Coordinator at 800-453-6948, Option #2, for more detailed information.
Email a question
Important Safety Information
CARTICEL is for autologous use and is indicated for the repair of symptomatic, cartilage defects of the femoral condyle (medial, lateral or trochlea), caused by acute or repetitive trauma, in patients who have had an inadequate response to a prior arthroscopic or other surgical repair procedure (e.g., debridement, microfracture, drilling/abrasion arthroplasty, or osteochondral allograft/autograft). CARTICEL should only be used in conjunction with debridement, placement of a periosteal flap and rehabilitation. The independent contributions of the autologous cultured chondrocytes and other components of the therapy to outcome are unknown. It is not indicated for the treatment of cartilage damage associated with generalized osteoarthritis. It is not recommended for patients whose knee meniscus has been surgically removed unless the patient has undergone surgical reconstruction prior to or concurrent with CARTICEL implantation.
Pre-existing conditions including meniscal tears, joint instability or malalignment of the joint should be corrected prior to or concurrent with CARTICEL implantation. It should not be used in patients with a known history of hypersensitivity to gentamicin, other aminoglycosides or materials of bovine origin. CARTICEL is not routinely tested for transmissible infectious diseases and may transmit disease to the healthcare provider handling CARTICEL. In addition, it should not be used in patients who have previously had cancer in the bones, cartilage, fat or muscle of the treated limb. Use in children, patients over age 65, or in joints other than the knee has not yet been assessed.
The occurrence of subsequent surgical procedures (SSPs), primarily arthroscopy, following CARTICEL implantation is common. In the Study of the Treatment of Articular Repair (STAR), forty-nine percent (49%) of patients underwent an SSP on the treated knee, irrespective of their relationship to CARTICEL, during the 4-year follow up. The most common serious adverse events (≥5% of patients), derived from STAR, include arthrofibrosis/joint adhesions, graft overgrowth, chondromalacia or chondrosis, cartilage injury, graft complication, meniscal lesion, graft delamination, and osteoarthritis.
For more information on CARTICEL, please see the Package Insert (PDF).