Each year, several million Americans injure the cartilage in their knees, shoulders and other joints. Orthopedic surgeons at Rush have developed the Cartilage Restoration Center (CRC) to offer a full range of contemporary treatment options for joint pain, including the latest minimally invasive procedures. Many of these surgeries are performed arthroscopically through small incisions and are usually performed in an outpatient surgical center.

A leader in the development of treatments for cartilage defects, the Rush CRC has played a key role in testing biologic methods for repairing early damage to knee cartilage, as well as refining time-honored techniques for repairing damaged joints. The program's specialty is cartilage repair for young and active patients, using new techniques that make it possible to regenerate and replace cartilage before more advanced degeneration occurs.

View Webcast: Cartilage Restoration of the Knee

In some cases, we can prevent the onset or progression of arthritis, using innovative methods for restoring damaged cartilage available at only a handful of medical centers in the country. In some instances, cartilage restoration is also available for the treatment of cartilage problems of the shoulder, elbow, hip and ankle. This treatment may lead to a significant reduction or elimination of pain in the joint, allowing a return to a healthy, active lifestyle.

The Rush CRC is a Center of Excellence at Rush University Medical Center that offers a multidisciplinary program dedicated to the management of cartilage and joint disorders. Based at Rush University Medical Center just west of Chicago's Loop, CRC's group of fellowship-trained orthopedic specialists is dedicated to investigating and providing the most contemporary treatments for musculoskeletal disease.

Brian J. Cole, MD, is director of the Rush Cartilage Restoration Center. Dr. Cole is a national leader in the use of new techniques for repairing damaged knee cartilage.